Mesut Ozil Arsenal 2018

Ozil warned he doesn't fit in under Emery & 'the writing's on the wall'

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has suggested that Mesut Ozil is on borrowed time at Emirates Stadium, after a difficult first half of the season.

The 30-year-old playmaker has found regular playing time hard to come by in recent months, falling down the pecking order under Spanish boss Unai Emery.

Ozil remains the highest-paid player in the Arsenal squad but his attitude and performance levels have often been questioned.

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In a bid to justify his decision to drop the German star, Emery has claimed he often tries to challenge his players to get the best out of them, but, having again been dropped for the 1-0 defeat to West Ham, it's unlikely Ozil will be happy with his situation.

And Campbell, who played for the Gunners between 1987 and 1995, has suggested that Emery has little use for the former Real Madrid midfielder going forward.

"It's quite apparent that Mesut Ozil does not fit in with what Unai Emery wants to do," Campbell told Love Sport Radio.

"When he's the top player at the club, the highest earner, and he's not even getting on the bench for West Ham away after coming back from injury, the writing is on the wall. 

"There's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that we don't really know about but the one constant we do know is that if you're paying someone the highest wages, there should be no second-guessing that he's not the first guy on the team sheet."

Ozil has not featured for Arsenal since boxing day, when he was withdrawn at half-time during the 1-1 draw at Brighton.

In his absence Emery's side have lost two of their last three Premier League games, most recently succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against West Ham last weekend.

With a crucial home clash against Chelsea up next Ozil is in line for a return, but it remains to be seen whether or not Emery will include him in the starting line-up.

Arsenal are currently fifth in the league table and six points behind the Blues, with a huge opportunity to close that gap on Saturday, but Campbell predicts they will ultimately fail to secure that final Champions League spot.

"I think Arsenal can make the top four but will they? I don't think they will," Campbell added.

"I don't think they are set up as a squad strong enough, especially defensively, to get into that top four.

"I'd love to be proven wrong but I just don't think over the course of a season Arsenal are that side who can challenge the boys at the top."

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