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What's the story?
Arsenal boss Unai Emery has ruled out the possibility of Mesut Ozil's departure from the Emirates this summer, adding that the midfielder will be available for their highly-anticipated derby against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
In case you didn't know...
Ozil's departure from Arsenal has been heavily speculated this summer after the playmaker fell out of Emery's favour in the previous campaign.
The former Germany international only started 20 of the north London giants' 38 matches in the Premier League last term as Emery cited tactics and the player's inability to deal with the physicality of some teams as reasons for his absences.
The 30-year-old midfielder has not featured in any games this season due to safety and health concerns.
Arsenal, who are believed to be keen on offloading a few players, following their summer buys, could lose the likes of Nacho Monreal, Shkodran Mustafi and Mohamed Elneny before the European transfer window closes. Ozil was previously tipped to be one of the players set for an exit but it appears that the playmaker will remain at the Emirates, according to Emery's latest comments.
The heart of the matter
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Emery said,
"We are not speaking about the possibility for Mesut to leave. We finished here our transfer window and in Europe, it is going to finish on Monday.
"We cannot sign another player but we have some players who have a possibility to leave in the four days before the transfer window closes.
"The club is working, some players know the situation and my focus and the team’s focus is to prepare for the match on Sunday and exclusively on Sunday."
Speaking about Ozil, the Spaniard said,
"This week he is training well, he is progressing physically and he is training and doing normal work with us. He is going to be closer to us and he will be available on Sunday. It is good news."
What's next?
Arsenal are scheduled to host Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates on Sunday.
