Mesut Ozil says that his preference would “definitely” be to sign a new contract at Arsenal. The midfielder has entered the final 12 months of his £140,000-a-week deal and, in the absence of offers from any of the European clubs who could meet his wage demands, he is set to stay at Emirates Stadium for the upcoming season.
The bigger issue has been whether Ozil will re-sign at the club he joined from Real Madrid for £42.5mn in 2013, with one of his options being to wait until January 2018 to see whether he gets a lucrative pre-contract offer from an overseas club relating to a free agent move in the summer. Arsenal, though, have worked hard to put forward an attractive deal of their own, which is worth a basic £280,000 a week. So far, it has been a waiting game, with Ozil keen to keep his options open as he moves into the new season. “It is definitely my preference to stay,” Ozil said, at Arsenal’s launch of their new third kit in Sydney. 
“It is such a great club and I have always said that I feel very good at Arsenal. Once everyone is back in London, we will sit down and discuss about the future. For now, the most important thing is our pre-season and getting through the tour, training and getting fitness. When I’m back in London, we will sit down and discuss.”
Ozil also commented on the situation of his teammate Alexis Sanchez who, like him, has entered the final year on his contract. Unlike Ozil though, Sanchez has elite-level suitors – with Manchester City chief among them. 
“It would hit the team quite hard if he left because he’s a player who always delivers,” Ozil said. “It would be a setback to winning the title but, in the end, it’s the player’s decision. I hope Alexis stays but I don’t know what the status is, to be honest. I value him a lot as a player and he’s very well suited to the game Arsenal play. From a personal view, I’d really appreciate if he stays. But it’s the player’s decision after all and there’s not much more I can comment on that.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reiterated that Sanchez will not be sold to a Premier League rival and insisted the Chilean striker is not for sale. However, Sanchez has his heart set on a move to Manchester City to reunite with Pep Guardiola, under whom he played while at Barcelona. 
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich had initially shown interest in Sanchez but have backed off after his high wage demands. With City only being able to that kind of money, Sanchez saga will headline Arsenal pre-season campaign.