Marca: Mesut Ozil tells Arsenal he wants to leave, refuses new deal

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, German star Mesut Ozil has informed Arsenal he wants to leave in the summer,

and doesn't want to sign a new contract.

The Gunners have already offered Ozil a further two year contract extension, with his current deal expiring in 2018, but Marca say Ozil is in no mood to sign a new contract.

It's claimed the German star has been left disappointed at the club, as he was promised that the club would compete for the biggest trophies when he signed for them in the summer of 2013.

Two years later, Ozil has the most number of assists to his name in the league, and feels this summer would be the right time for a change.

Marca say Barcelona are keen on signing Ozil, but it won't be easy. The Catalan giants have already contacted the player to know if he really intends to leave Arsenal.

Barcelona see the possibility of signing Ozil as a unique market opportunity and not something they've gone out to look for, as they already have enough players in his position. Any transfer will be dependent on sales, as the financial position of the Catalans giants is not very strong at this moment, and the priority is to sign a central defender and a fullback.

It's no secret Barcelona could have signed Ozil during his days at Werder Bremen, but Pep Guardiola wasn't interested as he didn't want to hinder the development of Thiago. 

The Gunners are still in the Premier league title race, and things could change if they manage to win it, but another season without a major trophy might make it difficult for them to keep one of their best players at the club, or at least Marca think so.

So what's Marca's motivation? It's easy to assume the story isn't true. Ozil and his family had a torrid relationship with the Madrid press when he left Spain, so he's hardly going to send any leaks their way, unless his entourage are really desperate.

It could be an assumption because of Arsenal's faltering title challenge, but that effort is certainly not dead. Perhaps Marca were eager to point out that life after Real Madrid isn't greener, or maybe start a wind-up of Barcelona, to give them a transfer target they'd probably fail to get.