Arsenal news: Arsene Wenger insists Mesut Ozil wants to stay

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reiterated that he expects Mesut Ozil to stay despite publicly hinting that the midfielder could be on his way out of the club in January. The German's contract with the north London club expires after the end of the season with no talk of an extension thus far.

Ozil is reportedly in talks with Arsenal over a new contract after reportedly being unable to find a club willing to match his £17.1m-a-year wage demands. The Germany international has attracted enquiries from Inter Milan and Besiktas, but interest has waned in recent months.

Manchester United have also been heralded as a possible destination for the midfielder, with Jose Mourinho a keen believer in his abilities.

There is also widespread speculation over the future of Ozil's teammate Alexis Sanchez, who is in the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The Chilean forward tried to force a move to Manchester City during the summer transfer window but failed, while French giants Paris Saint-Germain are also reported to be interested in his services.

The Gunners are unbeaten in all competitions since their 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool, with Ozil only starting one of the games while suffering from a knee inflammation. He is expected to be back for their game against Watford and reclaim his spot in the squad.

"I genuinely think he wants to stay," Wenger said, as quoted by the Guardian. "But I am always positive about that. Of course he is important. But I have many players – we spoke about Jack, we spoke about Iwobi. They are all players who play in this similar position and it is very interesting because it gives me a lot of opportunities to keep them all focused and refreshed.

"People go quickly to conclusions. Last year we played the last 11 games and won 10. We beat Man City in the FA Cup semi-finals and Chelsea in the final and he played as well. You can always find the example. But it's true that we have done well recently.

"We live in the world where people have opinions and sometimes they are right and sometimes they are not always proven right on the longer period. You need players who have quality and Özil is one of the best players in the world."