There was a time when clubs had control and determined the destiny of a player, but that went out the window with the rise of the superstar footballer and the ridiculously inflated wages they subsequently received. Arsenal are proof of a club that has been held to ransom by its unwanted German duo.

The Gunners tried their best over the summer to cut the financial umbilical by actively seeking alternative destinations for German duo Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi, but both refused.

It seems a fruitless exercise on their part and both will probably only be used in emergencies or as cover for injuries. Emery had spoken of his long term plans to the German duo, giving no assurances.

So, it’s a stand off that the club, manager and players could do without and which sees both players stock at rock bottom. The only hope is that someone comes in for one or both in January, but it really seems unlikely. You can check out how punters around the world are making money by predicting how Arsenal are going to fare this season with this guide for asian handicap betting.

Unless Ozil can recapture his magic touch and Mustafi stops playing with two left feet in defence, the German duo are likely to play a series of lesser games or just eek out their lucrative contracts until they leave on a free.

Arsenal managed to tie both hands behind their backs during their restructure and in the process, the German duo ended up with lucrative and binding contracts. In hindsight, had Sanchez not made such a song and dance at the time of negotiations which eventually saw him leave for Manchester United, they may well have shipped Ozil out at that point.

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Arsenal were obviously worried that both departures would cause uproar and decided to offer Ozil a king’s ransom. It turned out to be one of the worst deals in the club’s history as they let other more productive performers like Aaron Ramsey leave, but one suspects this was purely down to his injury record.

It will be a master stroke if the new regime can offload the German duo before their contracts expire for a reasonably small return as it will allow the club to invest elsewhere. Fingers crossed that they both get bored with training and not playing.

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