Arsenal transfer news: Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey

Ozil on the edge

Put in more effort or pack your bags. That is the ultimatum facing Mesut Ozil after an alleged fiery showdown with “demanding” Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

According to the Daily Mirror, the Gunners’s new gaffer has made it clear “publicly and privately [that] the £350,000-a-week midfielder has to put in more of a shift to play for him”.

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Was that the reason that Ozil missed Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to West Ham? Officially the German playmaker was suffering from a cold (his seventh bout of illness this year), but Metro alleges that Ozil and Emery had a furious row last week with the German “screaming” at the Spaniard over his “approach and tactics”.

Break into a sweat

In short, Ozil is aggrieved that Emery believes he should occasionally break into a sweat in return for his £350,000-a-week wages.

Like many of the Arsenal squad, Ozil has grown accustomed to the short training sessions preferred by Arsene Wenger. The tough new regime brought to north London has come as quite a shock for players whose idea of effort in recent seasons has been tying a double knot in their bootlaces.

The Mirror says that Emery has denied the reports of a disagreement but states that the 29-year-old “will have to put more effort in under the new regime”.

And if he doesn’t? Then both the Mirror and Metro say “Ozil’s future at the club is in doubt”. Stan Collymore uses his Mirror column to declare that he should be sold because Emery needs “grinders and grafters, players with less technique than him but more energy, heart and spirit”.

According to the Daily Express, PSG and former club Real Madrid are his “likeliest destinations”, but the paper also says AC Milan are interested in the playmaker.

Ramsey in stand-off

Another player being challenged by Emery to put in more effort is Aaron Ramsey.

The Wales midfielder was dropped for the game against Chelsea but replaced Ozil in the win against West Ham. The Mirror says that Ramsey remains locked in a “contract stand-off” with the Gunners.

Apparently there’s still no sign of a breakthrough in negotiation and the Emirates fear that Ramsey will leave on a free transfer in June when his contract expires. The Welshman knows he could get a deal with another big name club that would result in wages far higher than his current £110,000-a-week earnings.

The Mirror namechecks Manchester United, Chelsea and Italian outfit Lazio as clubs who’ve expressed an interest in signing the 27-year-old.