MESUT OZIL is set to be left out of Mikel Arteta’s 25-man Premier League squad.
The German, 32, earns £350,000 per week and is the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But according to the Daily Mail, he has been made no promises about his inclusion in the Premier League squad for this season.
Outcast Ozil was omitted from the Gunners’ Europa League squad alongside Sokratis.
And now he is on course to be snubbed once again for the league team which will be submitted on Tuesday.
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That would therefore mean he may not make a single appearance until January – having last featured on March 7.
Premier League clubs are allowed up to 17 non-homegrown players but Arsenal already have 19 players in that category.
Homegrown is defined as players of any nationality who spent three seasons training at a professional English or Welsh club before the age of 21.
Those under 21 do not need to be registered in the squad.
Clearly, former Schalke, Werder Bremen and Real Madrid man Ozil does not fit into that bracket.
Asked whether Ozil would be included, Arteta dodged the question – but did hint there was a chance he could earn his way back into the frame come the new year.
The Spaniard said: “He wasn’t the only one who was not in the Europa League squad.
“It is a difficult decision for me to make because to leave players out of the squad, where they know they cannot get involved, is tough.
“I don’t like it at all, but unfortunately the decision has to be made because we have an excess of foreign players.
“They have to respect that decision, try to train the best possible way, help the team as best they can and see what happens.”
Arteta and technical director Edu told Ozil and Sokratis face to face they would not be involved in the Europa League campaign.
And it means the World Cup winner – who rejected a £200,000-a-week offer from Saudi Arabia – could even be forced to play with the Under-23s.
Ozil’s mega-money contract which earns him £2,083 an hour expires at the end of the season, meaning he will be available as a free agent – just like Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Sergio Aguero and Georginio Wijnaldum.
