Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reportedly given the green light for Mesut Ozil to pursue a fresh challenge away from the Emirates during the January transfer window.
The Germany international is approaching the final six months of his Gunners contract, and according to Mundo Deportivo, h/t SportWitness, he could be available for a cut-price £18m deal.
Ozil’s representative Dr Erkun Sogut has already informed Barcelona of the attacker’s availability and has urged them to place an offer with as many as six clubs said to have expressed an interest in the German.
Nevertheless, the World Cup winner is not the top priority for the Catalan giants, and they are likely to step up their pursuit, only if they fail in their quest to sign Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
Despite this, Wenger has recently expressed his desire to keep both Ozil and Alexis Sanchez at the Emirates following their standout performance versus Tottenham Hotspur, as per BBC Sport.
Arsenal take on FC Koln in the fifth game of the Europa League on Thursday night, and Wenger is likely to make wholesale changes ahead of this weekend’s league trip to Burnley.
The north London giants currently have one of the worst away records with just four points from six matches this term, and the focus will be on three points at Burnley – against whom they won by a controversial handball goal last season.
Meanwhile, there have been no fresh negotiations with either Ozil or Sanchez over a contract extension, but there is the possibility of losing both players in the New Year, should the club opt to cut their losses.
