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Former Arsenal winger Lukas Podolski has slammed the club for their treatment of his former team-mate Mesut Ozil.
Podolski has aimed criticism towards Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta, claiming Ozil deserves to be treated better after what he's done for the club.
Speaking to Bild, the 35-year-old has slammed Arsenal for not "looking positive" throughout the situation regarding Ozil.
"I don't know the background, but I generally think with a player who is now in his sixth or seventh year with the club, to kick him completely out of the squad... that’s absolutely not okay. ou don’t do something like that, and I don’t know if something happened in the background or not but even if he’s done something, you don’t do it. He's shown his class on the pitch, he's never been negative towards his colleagues or the club. It's sad because everyone's losing in this situation. It should not end this way. Arsenal as a club have not looked positive in this situation over the last months."
Ozil hasn't made a single appearance for the Gunners since March, before the first UK lockdown, and was excluded from both the Premier League and Europa League squads this season.
It seems like a certainty that the 32-year-old playmaker will be eyeing a move away from the Emirates Stadium as early as January. However, an exit could prove to be difficult with the wages he's on.
Where could Mesut Ozil leave Arsenal for?
When you think of the potential destinations for Mesut Ozil if he were to leave Arsenal, the first places that come to mind are the United States or the Middle East.
The MLS could act as a perfect getaway for the final years of his career. However, if he's still feeling optimistic about the quality he can offer, perhaps Ozil could remain in Europe.
A return home to Germany in the Bundesliga could be on the cards, or he could go back to Spain where he became the world-class star he was at Real Madrid.
Long story short, Arsenal don't seem to have any plans for Ozil and he needs to escape for the good of his career.
