Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit says he’d tell Mesut Ozil to leave if he were Arsene Wenger

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has laid into Mesut Ozil for his inconsistency and poor attitude, saying he’d tell him to ‘get out’ if he were in Arsene Wenger’s position.

The Germany international has had a slow start to the 2017/18 campaign, and came under fire in particular after the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Many fans have long criticised Ozil for his apparent lack of energy and impact, especially in the big games, and Petit says the 28-year-old is now past his best.

The Frenchman admits he finds watching Ozil and the way he conducts himself on the pitch frustrating, and would not think twice about showing him the door if he were Arsenal manager.

‘It’s been a while since he played a good game, and even longer since he put a string of good performances together,’ Petit told SFR Sport.

‘He’s still able to put in one good performance, but good performances over three, four, five weeks… I don’t think we’ll see Ozil at that level again.

‘What disappoints me most is his attitude, his defeatist attitude on the pitch, his nonchalance that transmits to his teammates.

‘Arsene keeps him on the pitch. If I were the coach, I’d say, “Mesut, you want to leave? There’s the door. Be sure to close it on the way out.” If I were Arsene Wenger, I’d say, “Get out.”‘

Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 in what was then a club-record transfer, but he now looks increasingly likely to leave on a free at the end of the season as he nears the end of his contract.

Little interest has been shown in the playmaker this summer, though reports have emerged that Barcelona held initial talks over him earlier on in the transfer window.

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