'Arsenal are crying out for a player like Ozil' - Arteta is letting 'quality' midfielder's talent go to waste, says Seaman

Arsenal are "crying out for a player like" Mesut Ozil, according to David Seaman, who says Mikel Arteta is letting a "quality" midfielder's talent go to waste.

Ozil was initially brought back in from the cold when Arteta was handed the managerial reigns at Emirates Stadium last December, having fallen out of favour under previous manager Unai Emery.

The ex-Germany international featured prominently in the Spaniard's starting XI up until the 2019-20 campaign was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, with his last appearances for the Gunners coming in a 1-0 win over West Ham on March 7.

Arteta has not had any use for Ozil since football's resumption in June, despite the fact the playmaker has been keeping himself in optimal condition on the training ground.

A man who moved to Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid for £42 million ($56m) in 2013 played no part in Arsenal's run to FA Cup glory, and was left out of his current manager's Premier League and Europa League squads at the start of the new season.

Ozil publicly questioned the club's loyalty in the wake of that decision, and is now being forced to run down the final few months of his contract behind the scenes with little sign of Arteta altering his stance heading into the New Year.

Seaman finds it hard to fathom that the ex-Madrid star is being left out for footballing reasons, with it his belief that the German is still more than capable of adding a much-needed creative dimension to the current Gunners squad.

“I am surprised Arteta is choosing to leave out Mezut Ozil because he’s a player of quality,” The former Arsenal goalkeeper told The Target Men Podcast.

“I feel something’s gone on personally between the two of them, because to leave him out, and on the money he’s on, is a big statement and for me it’s a bit of a waste, because he’s still a quality player.

“When you look at the Arsenal team, we’re crying out for a player like that, so why don’t you build your team around Ozil rather than just leaving him out in the field and letting him go.”

Seaman went onto assess his old club's chances of qualifying for the Champions League, having seen Arteta deliver only four wins from 10 Premier League matches so far this term.

“The way Arsenal are now, top four is going to be almost like winning the Premier League," he added.

“The team need to get a run going and gain confidence again, but I do think top four would be a great season for Arsenal.”