Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says a January exit for midfielder Mesut Ozil could well be the "best solution for everyone".
Arsenal are desperate to offload the Germany international, who reportedly takes home a staggering £350,000 a week while exiled from Arteta's squad
Ozil, 32, has not featured since a 1-0 win over West Ham on March 7 and was left out of the Gunners' 25-man Premier League squad for this season.
The former Real Madrid playmaker has only six months left on his contract and is now free to talk to other clubs over a pre-contract agreement for next season.
However, he could bring to an end his eight-year stay in London in the coming weeks, with reports in Turkey saying Ozil is close to agreeing a deal with Fenerbahce while reports in the UK have linked him with a move to the MLS with DC United.
"We will discuss internally what the best situation for him is for the near future, obviously with the player and the agent too, and try to find the best solution for everyone," Arteta said.
"If something was sorted this month, it's because it is good for both parties, it is good for Mesut and his future, and it's good for the club. If that's the case, we will move forward. If it's not the case the player will stay here."
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Arsenal's highest-paid players
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - £250,000 a week. Reuters -
Thomas Partey - £250,000 a week. Reuters -
Willian - £192,308 a week. AFP -
Alexandre Lacazette - £182,063 a week. Reuters -
Hector Bellerin - £110,000 a week. EPA -
David Luiz - £100,962 a week. EPA -
Sead Kolasinac - £100,000 a week. EPA -
Bernd Leno - £100,000 a week. Reuters -
Nicolas Pepe - £100,000 a week. AP -
Granit Xhaka - £100,000 a week. PA -
Gabriel Martinelli - £90,000 per week. Reuters -
Pablo Mari - £85,000 a week. Reuters -
Kieran Tierney - £80,769 per week. EPA -
Lucas Torreira (on loan at Atletico Madrid) - £75,000 per week. Getty -
Cedric Soares - £75,000 a week. EPA -
Dani Ceballos - £51,923 per week. EPA -
Calum Chambers - £50,000 a week. Getty -
Mohamed Elneny - £50,000 per week. EPA -
Gabriel - £50,000 per week. EPA -
Eddie Nketiah - £45,000 a week. Getty -
Runar Alex Runarsson - £40,000 a week. Reuters -
William Saliba - £40,000 a week. Getty -
Mathew Ryan - £35,000 a week. Getty -
Ainsley Maitland-Niles (on loan at West Brom) - £35,000 per week. Reuters -
Rob Holding - £25,000 per week. EPA -
Emile Smith Rowe - £20,000 a week. AP -
Joe Willock (on loan at Newcastle) - £20,000 per week. Reuters -
Reiss Nelson - £15,000 per week. EPA -
Bukayo Saka - £10,000 per week. PA
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Ozil was left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads for this season, but is free to face Newcastle in the FA Cup third round on Saturday if selected.
Clubs can make changes to those squads after the January transfer window, but Arteta hinted he is not likely to change his mind over Ozil no matter the circumstances.
"We know that we have a really important player who is one of the key players in the past few seasons for this football club," added Arteta, who played alongside Ozil for three seasons at Arsenal before retiring in 2016.
"We have to make a decision. I had to make a decision and I made it. I knew the consequences of it and now we're going to have to make another one in January.
"We will just [be] putting the balance on what is the best thing for the club and the best thing for the team, and what the intentions of the player are, and we will try to find the right solutions for that."
