Mesut Ozil appears to be heading for a summer move away from Arsenal, says Perry Groves, but it is unclear where a player with a big salary and 'questionable attitude' will end up next.
Speculation regarding the German playmaker’s future continues to rage as he now fills no obvious role at Emirates Stadium.
Gone are the days when he was considered a talismanic presence, with Unai Emery having taken to leaving the World Cup winner out amid concerns over his form and commitment to the cause.
Groves believes a move elsewhere could now be on the cards, with Arsenal losing patience with a player they have put so much faith in and got little reward back.
The ex-Gunners midfielder told LeoVegas: “I think Emery has done everything that he possibly can to get the best out of Ozil but it just doesn’t seem to be having a big enough impact.
“Ozil is so obviously a great player, but the frustration is that he doesn't do it on a regular basis and he tends not to perform against the bigger sides. You need to be doing that to justify his wages.
“Emery has tried to motivate Ozil by giving him the [captain's] armband to demand more responsibility. He’s tried to motivate Ozil by dropping him for underperforming too.
“Emery has tried both ends of the spectrum and he must be a bit bewildered to have not got a reaction. The manager can only do so much.”
Getty ImagesGroves added: “I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Ozil leave at the end of the season.
“The problem for Emery and Arsenal is that the options are going to be limited because of the wages that he's on.
“There aren’t many teams in the world that can afford £350,000 a week and there’s even fewer happy to give that sort of money to Ozil.
“I think the situation with Ozil is primarily down to his own attitude.
“It's very difficult without knowing him personally but he strikes me as someone who is very psychological. One day he’s fine, the next day he’s not.
“I think Arsenal are potentially paying the consequences for his situation with Germany, that definitely hasn’t helped. I think that has really hurt him and damaged his mentality.”
Ozil announced his international retirement in the summer of 2018 on the back of a testing World Cup campaign which saw him make unwelcome headlines on and off the field.
There has been a clear hangover since that episode, with the 30-year-old having delivered just four goals and two assists across his Premier League and Europa League outings this season.