Mikel Arteta's main beef with Mesut Ozil neatly explains Arsenal's transfer policy.
After Mikel Arteta became manager in North London, the Gunners manager failed to get the best out of the mercurial midfielder during their time together at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta and Mesut Ozil failed to see eye-to-eye once the Spaniard became Arsenal manager, much to the surprise of some.
Many had thought that the appointment of Arteta would inspire a substantial improvement in Ozil's form after a year-and-a-half of troubles under previous manager Unai Emery, but his former Gunners colleague went one better and sacked the German playmaker entirely.
Ozil joined Fenerbahce in January 2021 after Arsenal chose not to include him in their 25-man Premier League roster. There were many theories as to why Arteta did not want to keep the midfielder, but it is believed that the former Real Madrid man's lack of adaptability played a significant role in his choice.
As we've learned, Arteta prefers Arsenal's attacking threat to come from the sides. Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka play on the left and right wings, respectively, and generate impressive goal contributions.
Nearly two and a half years after Ozil's acrimonious departure, it is clear how much Arteta values adaptability and the ability to succeed in a variety of roles. That much is obvious from his transfer plan over the last two years.
Ben White's £50 million fee raised many eyebrows at the time, but after two seasons, the ex-Brighton defender has one excellent season at centre-back and an even better one at right-back to show for his efforts.
Oleksandr Zinchenko arrived last summer and completely revolutionised the way Arsenal play, despite his formal designation as 'left-back,' though the Ukrainian plays in almost every position on the pitch over the course of a whole 90 minutes. Take a look at his assist for Saka's goal against Everton at home last season; Zinchenko plays an eye of the needle pass from right midfield.
Even players who Arteta did not sign but clearly admires, such as Reiss Nelson, show that the Gunners manager appreciates the fact that the Arsenal academy product can play on both attacking sides if necessary.
Moving forward to this summer, Arteta is on the approach of signing Jurrien Timber. The Ajax star is known for his technical abilities, which allows him to excel as both a center-back and an inverted right-back.
It is widely assumed that Arteta sees the young Dutch international as someone who, like Zinchenko, can be utilised on the opposite side of the pitch to increase Arsenal's prospects of total dominance during games.
The £60 million acquisition of Chelsea flop Kai Havertz is perhaps the most visible evidence of Arteta's desire for versatility. It remains to be seen whether the ex-Blues player will light it up at the Emirates, but few can be sure given the uncertainties surrounding his future.
Havertz can play as a standard number 10 or as a false nine, which is how he was frequently used for Chelsea. However, on Arsenal's official website, the 24-year-old is categorised as a midfielder, which makes for interesting reading.
As Arteta prepares for what he hopes will be another title challenge and one that ends better than the last, it is clear to all that his dream is a fluid Arsenal in which many players take on different roles rather than one fixed position - the kind of luxury Ozil's style demanded and which the Arsenal manager refused to accommodate.
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