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Barcelona may end Arsenal’s Champions League hopes, but Real Madrid could crush their season

By Rucker Haringey

Jun 26, 2014; Recife, BRAZIL; Germany midfielder Mesut Ozul (8) against USA during the 2014 World Cup at Arena Pernambuco. Germany defeated USA 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Recife, BRAZIL; Germany midfielder Mesut Ozul (8) against USA during the 2014 World Cup at Arena Pernambuco. Germany defeated USA 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Losing Mesut Ozil to Real Madrid would be a fatal blow for Arsenal

Drawing Barcelona in the Champions League will likely end Arsenal’s run towards international glory. However, Real Madrid poses the biggest threat to Arsenal’s entire season.

Rumors out of Spain today claim that Mesut Ozil could end up back at Real Madrid. The thought is that James Rodriguez is unhappy with Rafa Benitez so he may be looking to force a transfer away from the Spanish giants. If he does, then Los Blancos would look to bring back the in-form German midfielder to take his place. Losing a star of this magnitude in the January transfer window would be a fatal blow to Arsenal’s entire season. They cannot win a Premier League title without their German talisman.

While fellow attacker Alexis Sanchez is Arsenal’s most valuable player, Ozil isn’t far behind. He’s been awesome pulling the strings for Arsene Wenger’s side this year. He’s recorded an eye-popping 13 assists in just 15 Premier League matches and has been crucial in Arsenal’s march towards the top of the table. His verve and creativity in midfield are a big reason that Arsenal’s attack has been so dynamic.

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In particular, the presence of Ozil goes a long way towards covering up Arsenal’s issues at striker. His creativity and ability really make Olivier Giroud’s job up top much easier than it would be otherwise. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that Ozil’s presence on the pitch makes Giroud look like an above-average Premier League striker when in fact, his talent level is that of a fringe Premier League regular. Giroud should be buying Ozil expensive gifts on a regular basis to thank him for his career assistance.

If Ozil were subtracted from the Arsenal lineup then a lot of the other attackers would suddenly look quite ordinary. In addition to Giroud, players like Theo Walcott and Joel Campbell would really struggle to impact the game without a world-class number 10. Alexis Sanchez would still look like the star he is, but even he would find life more difficult without Ozil.

Of course we must admit that the chances of Ozil returning to Real Madrid are pretty remote. He’s in a great situation for himself at Arsenal and there’s no guarantee that he’d want to move back to Spain. There’s also the small matter of Arsenal not being willing to sell him at any price. The Premier League’s new TV deal is a huge boon to every club and it’s likely Arsenal could withstand even a world-record offer for Ozil. So relax Arsenal fans, I really don’t think he’s going anywhere.

The point is, that if Real Madrid did somehow manage to turn his head once again, it would be a crushing blow to Arsenal. They wouldn’t become a bottom Premier League club by any means, but their title dreams for this season would come to a screeching halt.

What’s even worse is that their reputation around the world would take a knockout blow. If they sold Ozil to Madrid and gave up on their chance to win a Premier League title then players worldwide would lose a massive amount of respect for the North London club. It’s a transfer that would negatively impact the club for years.

Arsenal should be planning to prepare Barcelona on the Champions League, but their boardroom should be making sure they have nothing to fear from Real Madrid.

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