10 July 2023 , 06:00
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To the surprise of some, considering they were once team-mates, Mikel Arteta and Mesut Ozil failed to see eye-to-eye once the Spaniard became Arsenal boss.
Many had hoped the appointment of Arteta would inspire a significant upturn in form from Ozil after a year-and-a-half of struggles under previous manager Unai Emery, but instead, his former Gunners colleague went one better and axed the German playmaker from the fold altogether.
After opting to omit Ozil from Arsenal's 25-man Premier League squad, the World Cup winner left for Fenerbahce in January of 2021. Rumours were rife regarding why Arteta didn't want to keep the midfielder, but it is believed the former Real Madrid man's lack of versatility played a huge part in his decision.
As we now know, Arteta likes a lot of Arsenal's attacking threat to come from the flanks. Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka take up roles on the left and right respectively and produce outstanding numbers in terms of goal contributions.
Nearly two-and-a-half years on from Ozil's controversial exit, it is now glaringly obvious just how much emphasis Arteta places on versatility and the ability to thrive in a number of different roles. That much has been made clear by his transfer strategy over the last two years.
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Ben White's £50million fee raised plenty of eyebrows at the time, but two seasons in and the ex-Brighton ace now has one solid campaign at centre-back and an even better one at right-back to show for his efforts.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Was Arteta wrong to exile Ozil at Arsenal? Comment below
Mikel Arteta allowed Mesut Ozil to leave Arsenal in January 2021 after deeming him surplus to requirements (Visionhaus)Last summer Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived and completely transformed the way Arsenal play all from his official role as 'left-back', though th Ukrainian takes up just about every position on the pitch over the course of a full 90 minutes. Take a look at his assist for Saka's goal at home against Everton last term, Zinchenko plays an eye of the needle pass from a right-midfield position.
Even players who Arteta didn't sign himself but clearly thinks highly of like Reiss Nelson, it is clear that the Gunners boss is a fan of the fact the Arsenal academy graduate can be deployed on both attacking flanks if necessary.
Bringing it forward to this summer, Arteta is on the verge of landing Jurrien Timber's signature. The Ajax ace is famed for his technical ability which allows him to thrive both as a centre-back and as an inverted right-back.
It is widely believed that Arteta views the young Dutch international as someone who can be used in the same way as Zinchenko but on the opposite side of the pitch to further boost Arsenal's chances of total domination during games.
Perhaps the most obvious example of Arteta's desire for versatility is the £60m acquisition of Chelsea flop Kai Havertz. It remains to be seen whether the ex-Blues man will light it up at the Emirates, but few can even really guess given the uncertainty surrounding where he will play.
Havertz has the ability to operate as a traditional number ten, or in the false nine role where he was often deployed for Chelsea. However, the 24-year-old is listed as a midfielder on Arsenal's official website, which makes for interesting reading.
As Arteta gears up for what he hopes is another title tilt and one that ends better than the last, it is clear for all to see his dream is a fluid Arsenal that sees plenty of players take up different roles rather than one fixed position - the kind of luxury Ozil's style demanded and one the Arsenal boss refused to cater for.