Morgan Rogers has named Mesut Ozil as the most creative midfielder he has ever seen.
The timing of the comment will leave a wry smile on Gunners fans, with the Aston Villa star heavily linked to a move to Arsenal this summer.
Speaking to The Athletic, Rogers was tasked with building his perfect midfielder.
When it came to creativity, he didn’t hesitate in picking Mesut Ozil.
The German provided 57 Premier League assists during his time at Arsenal, a tally surpassed only by Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas in the club’s history.
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The irony, of course, is that the manager Rogers could soon be working under is the same man who effectively ended Ozil’s Arsenal career.
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Mikel Arteta froze Ozil out during the 2020/21 season, leaving the then £350,000-a-week midfielder without a competitive appearance before his contract was terminated six months early in January 2021.
Tension between the two had built throughout Arteta’s early tenure, most notably when Ozil refused to take a pay cut during the pandemic — at a time when Arteta was reportedly central to convincing the rest of the squad to accept a reduction.
Arteta did start Ozil in his first 10 Premier League games as Arsenal boss, suggesting there was initially a working relationship between the two.
And of course, the two played together under Arsene Wenger for three seasons.
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But the pandemic pay cut dispute appears to have been the point of no return, with Ozil subsequently omitted from squads entirely as the club sought an exit strategy.
That said, few players in the modern game possessed Ozil’s technical ability.
He gave Arsenal supporters moments of pure joy, and is undoubtedly among the greatest creators in Premier League history.
Morgan Rogers clearly agrees. And namedropping the former Arsenal man as the greatest creative midfielder ever feels like another small hint about where his heart lies this summer.
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