Arsenal manager Unai Emery has demanded the club clear Mesut Ozil off the books before the new season begins.
Reports say Emery wants the board to get rid of Ozil this summer – even if they have to pay off his bumper contract to force his exit.
The Gunners boss is set for talks this week with the club’s board to discuss a rebuilding plan for his underachieving squad.
And top of the agenda is what to do about the increasingly toxic presence of Ozil at the Emirates.
The German’s perverse reaction to being hooked off with 12 minutes left of his side’s Europa League final hammering by Chelsea last Wednesday sparked outrage.
Despite being 4-1 down, Ozil refused to hurry off – and was later seen moaning to the rest of the bench about being subbed.
That latest strop spells the end of his Arsenal career as Emery will now order the board to dispense with his services – no matter what the cost.
But the fact Ozil, who turns 31 in October, is easily Arsenal’s highest-paid player – having agreed a £270,000–per-week, three-year contract extension prior to Emery’s arrival – is a massive problem.