Arsenal legend Martin Keown has said that Mesut Ozil may need to remain consistent with his performances next term following the arrival of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid. The Spain international joined the Gunners on a season-long loan from Los Blancos last month and he has been fancied to compete for a regular starting role with the north London club next season.
In a report covered by Goal.com, Keown said that Ozil has been a crucial performer for the Gunners over the years but he may be under pressure from Ceballos next term after an average 2018/19 campaign, he quipped: “I love watching Ozil play when he’s at his very best but last season he wasn’t influential in the team and I’m not sure what was really going on.
“This season we will find out very quickly because Ceballos has come in who is a similar kind of player. He [Ozil] is a terrific player to watch but when we get caught out defensively his enthusiasm to get back is questioned. That’s why perhaps we need to get him on the ball more in attacking areas but we’re not Manchester City or Liverpool who can dominate the ball a lot.”
Ceballos is capable of playing in both the central midfield and number 10 positions but he has largely featured in the former of those roles. Nonetheless, the Spain has shown that he can be a menace from an attacking role from the recent under-21 European Championships and Ozil may need to step up with his game to avoiding dropping to the bench.
Arsenal have experienced an impressive transfer window where they have recruited four players including record signing Nicolas Pepe. They are expected to continue their spending spree before the transfer deadline with a new central defender and left-back eyed. RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney have been fancied to fulfil the roles.