Mesut Ozil told Arsenal club doctor to ‘f*** off’ after request to undergo drugs test following defeat to Tottenham

Frustrated: Mesut Ozil during the defeat at White Hart Lane: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Frustrated: Mesut Ozil during the defeat at White Hart Lane: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Mesut Ozil allegedly swore at Arsenal’s backroom staff after being selected for a drugs test following the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham.

The 28-year-old was informed by club doctor Gary O’Driscoll he had been chosen as the players left the pitch at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Ozil was seen throwing his arms up in the air, telling O’Driscoll to “f*** off” and is believed to have initially refused to take part. Witnesses claim that Ozil then kicked a door in frustration, leaving his stud marks on it, before reluctantly consenting to be tested.

Ozil was said to be frustrated by the number of times he has been asked to undergo the random procedure this season but the German cut a frustrated figure throughout Sunday’s defeat and his poor form is an ongoing concern for manager Arsene Wenger.

Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon was among those critical of several players — including Ozil — who failed to acknowledge the away supporters at the end of a north London derby loss which confirmed Tottenham will now finish above Arsenal in the Premier League table for the first time in 22 years.

The club’s £42.4million record signing was a peripheral figure once again and it is understood some of Ozil’s team-mates have grown frustrated at his lack of influence in recent months.

Ozil’s form sits uncomfortably with his huge wage demands which are in part stalling progress over signing a new contract. Both Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have just over a year remaining on their deals, with the pair seeking to more than double their current wages.

Ozil is Arsenal’s highest earner on £140,000 a week, with Sanchez on £130,000 a week. Standard Sport revealed last month that Arsenal have offered Sanchez a package that would make him the highest-paid player in English football worth £300,000 a week, although that figure includes a series of performance-related payments, add-ons and image rights. The Gunners have offered Ozil a figure in the region of £250,000 a week but he is believed to want the same increase as Sanchez and his representatives are thought to have expressed their frustration as to why he would not be Arsenal’s top earner under the proposed revisions.

However, a return of two goals and five assists from his last 18 matches points to a sustained downturn in performances and although he scored against Middlesbrough just over a fortnight ago, it remains to be seen whether Wenger’s new 3-4-2-1 system extracts the best from a player primarily used as a No10.

And while Sanchez continues to attract serious interest from a vast array of potential suitors including Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Juventus and two cash-rich Chinese clubs, Ozil has a much smaller and less attractive list of possible alternatives.

The Germany playmaker has previously stated that he wants to know whether Wenger will be at the club next season before deciding his own future. However, there are other factors in play: it appears increasingly unlikely Ozil will receive a similar financial package elsewhere but he will be more likely to force through a move away from Arsenal if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.