Cape Town - Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has reportedly postponed talks over a new contract until after Euro 2016, fuelling rumours linking him with Barcelona and Bayern.
Although his Arsenal career had a somewhat shaky start, this season saw the German midfielder prove himself to be every bit the world class player he was during his time at Real Madrid, with eight goals and 19 assists in the Premier League earning him a PFA player of the year nomination.
However, long-time Gunners fan and club insider Piers Morgan expressed his concerns on Twitter. “Hearing worrying rumours re Mesut Ozil & discreet offers from Barça & Bayern that he's seriously considering,” the journalist wrote on Friday.
Barcelona are believed to be lining up three players in exchange for Özil, including former Atletico Madrid star Arda Turan.
However, if he were to join Bayern, he would be in the company of international teammates such as Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, Mario Gotze and Philipp Lahm, with whom he won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Though the playmaker still has two years remaining on his current Arsenal contract, it is believed that he is waiting to see what the club does during this transfer window, before making any long-term commitments.
"We know that it will not be easy and that we need reinforcements if we want next season to be on top here again,” said the German player of the year.
“It is again interesting to see who invests in who and how much the clubs do during the summer break.”
With tensions rising at Arsenal over manager Arsene Wenger and his 12-year run without winning the Premier League, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal fans will react if one of their best players were to jump ship.