Mesut Özil hits back after Thierry Henry’s ‘hostage’ comments

Mesut Özil maintains he is happy at Arsenal and not bothered by suggestions from Thierry Henry that he and Alexis Sánchez are "holding the club hostage" with their wage demands.

Former Gunners fan favourite Henry said on Sky Sports last month that - for the amount of money the pair are reportedly after - "I want a hat-trick every week – and also when there’s no game". However, in an interview with German publication Kicker, Özil insisted he was not letting the comments get to him.

photo credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

"Everybody has the right to say his opinion but these statements do not interest me," the German international said.

"Such ex-players or other people...do not know what is actually spoken between the club and me."

Özil also made it clear that he has no desire to leave North London, but his future will depend to some degree on whether manager Arsène Wenger remains at the club beyond the end of this season. The Frenchman, who signed the German midfielder from Real Madrid, is out of contract this summer and it is unclear whether he will stay on after his current deal comes to an end. "The club knows I am here mainly because of Arsene Wenger, who has brought me the trust I enjoy," Özil added.

"I feel very, very happy at Arsenal and have shown my willingness to extend [my stay]. "The club also knows that I want to be clear about what the coach is doing. The fans want me to stay, now it's just the club."