Arsene Wenger has confirmed Arsenal are still in negotiations with Mesut Ozil and have not given up hope on keeping the Germany superstar.

Mirror Sport revealed Arsenal are making one last push to keep the 29-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season and a target for Manchester United and Barcelona.

Arsenal have already offered Ozil £275,000-a-week and are hoping to persuade him to sign a deal with Alexis Sanchez also a free agent next summer.

Gunners boss Wenger said: “Negotiations are always going on with everybody. Is it two years to go? One year to go? Three months to go? The door is always open and for the rest I cannot tell you much more.

Will Mezut Ozil give a new deal at the Emirates the thumbs up? (
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Action Images via Reuters)
Ozil is in the last 12 months of his contract (
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Getty Images Europe)

“I said that many times (we want to keep Ozil and Sanchez) and that’s all we can say.

“I don’t want to talk about that (negotiations) because the best way to deal with these sort of things is to keep it discreet as possible.”

Wenger also insisted that he is determined not to allow Olivier Giroud to leave in January despite the France striker admitting he fears for his World Cup place because of a lack of game time.

“He is a very important player and I have big respect for Olivier Giroud, and if you look at his career since he came here look how many French caps he’s got since he has been at Arsenal, he has not wasted his time,” said Wenger.

Olivier Giroud earned Arsenal a point at Southampton (
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REUTERS)

“I can understand the frustration of every player that doesn’t play, but that’s part of the job when you go to a big club.

“No, he is not a sub for me, he is a regular player, but I have plenty of good strikers and you cannot play all of them together.

“I speak to all of my players, but it’s very difficult to speak about what we talk about openly. Yes, you (the press) would love that! You know enough already!

"First of all he has played many games, much more than people speak about. He has played more minutes since the start of the season than (Alexandre) Lacazette. That is not always well known.

Aaron Ramsey will miss the trip to West Ham (
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AFP)

“When you are at a big club you have many big strikers and nobody can guarantee that you will play. Personally I want him to stay until the end of the season and then we will see.”

Wenger will be without Aaron Ramsey at West Ham because of a hamstring injury and will have to make changes while Shkodran Mustafi is also out. But Wenger hopes Ramsey is just a short lay-off.

“Mustafi will not be back. We lost Ramsey against Southampton. He will not be available for tomorrow’s game. Everybody else, apart from the long-term injuries, looks available. We have tests this morning to see how they have recovered,” said Wenger.

Shkodran Mustafi is also out (
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Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

“It will be a tricky test because they were unlucky against City. They rebuilt some confidence against Chelsea, so it will certainly be a game against a more confident and more dangerous West Ham team.

“[Mustafi will be out] a little bit longer. He’s out in training, running. The medical staff have decided that he’s not completely ready. Will he be ready for Saturday against Newcastle? Yes.”

Meanwhile, Wenger also admitted he is relishing the Europa League draw with Swedish minnows Ostersunds who are managed by an Englishman, Graham Potter.

Arsene Wenger will be hoping the Gunners can get back to winning ways (
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PA)

Wenger added: “They have done very well, the Swedish team. I think they finished fifth in their championship and are now on a break. Looking at their results in Europe, they have done well so we have to prepare properly.

“At the moment I cannot tell you much more about them because I don’t know them very well. I think the game’s on the 15th and 22nd of February, so we have some time to study them much better.

“They have an English manager who has done extremely well. [English managers] can come back after they go abroad to show their quality, and it also gives them an opportunity in Europe to show their quality, then to come back to show that quality in England.”

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