When reading a Marca article on Saturday morning about Mesut Ozil wanting to leave Arsenal in the summer, we almost immediately dismissed it as Marca going on a wind-up. They'd linked Barcelona with the Arsenal player and so it looked like a Spanish domestic in the making.

However, that German newspaper Bild also have a big story about the player's future is rather more concerning. It could merely be a coincidence that both newspapers are running big Ozil stories, or it could be something which has been pushed by someone to the media.

Bild say that someone from Ozil's management told them the following on Friday: "It is well known and true that Arsenal want to extend with Mesut. It is also true that there are constantly other requests for him. Mesut is a world champion, the most creative player in Europe, Germany's top player - so it is clear that top clubs show their interest in him."

Ozil told German magazine Kicker in December that there was no rush to sign a renewal with Arsenal, but also said that he'd been happy to move there and had enjoyed his stay so far. There was no suggestion of an exit.

If Ozil's representatives are pushing for a new bumper deal, they could perhaps have chosen a better weekend to do so. Bild, just like Marca, run the idea that Barcelona are the main club interested in signing Ozil.

That other clubs are contacting Ozil's management isn't a surprise, but it is a surprise to see them talk so openly about it. A bit much with the crucial Leicester City match on Sunday.

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