You never can be sure with deadline day deals but it appears increasingly certain that Mesut Özil has become an Arsenal player for 42m Euros. It's a happy ending to a fraught Summer. But Özil was worth the wait. Most of us are familiar with Özil's style: a graceful player, a wand of a left foot and an above average work-rate. But by far Özil's best skill and most dangerous trait is his truly elite passing ability. Almost all neutral fans will agree that Özil will be a fine addition to the Premier League. As for the Arsenal fans, all the collective pain and inertia that the summer window had wrought may suddenly fade from memory with with this signing. Unless I am very much mistaken Özil's signing will be the biggest import transfer in Premier League history at around £40m. And he may just be worth it. 
Career Numbers
Shots and Goals
| Team | Age | Goals p90 | Shots p90 | SoT p90 | Sc% | Sh Acc% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | S 12/13 | 24 | 0.40 | 1.34 | 0.76 | 52.94 | 56.67 |
| Real Madrid | S 11/12 | 23 | 0.14 | 1.09 | 0.35 | 40.00 | 32.26 |
| Real Madrid | S 10/11 | 22 | 0.21 | 1.38 | 0.53 | 40.00 | 38.46 |
| Werder Bremen | S 09/10 | 21 | 0.31 | 2.32 | 1.08 | 29.03 | 46.27 |
| Werder Bremen | S 08/09 | 20 | 0.13 | 1.88 | 0.63 | 21.43 | 33.33 |
Özil's goals per90 numbers are pretty inconsistent as are his shots on target per90 numbers. This isn't a player who will score a lot, for he just isn't a shooter. Passes, Assists and key Passes per90
| Team | Age | Assists p90 | Passes p90 | Pass% | KP p90 | ToP% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | S 12/13 | 24 | 0.58 | 50.39 | 84.10 | 4.09 | 53.21 |
| Real Madrid | S 11/12 | 23 | 0.60 | 57.45 | 87.10 | 3.61 | 67.53 |
| Real Madrid | S 10/11 | 22 | 0.60 | 51.01 | 85.40 | 4.21 | 66.95 |
| Werder Bremen | S 09/10 | 21 | 0.42 | 37.56 | 82.50 | 3.23 | 68.29 |
| Werder Bremen | S 08/09 | 20 | 0.54 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 52.92 |
Some of these numbers may look confusing but I'll quickly run through them. here is a link to some of Europe's best players in 2012/13 and their per90 numbers (link) Assists per90 Truly elite. Off the charts elite. Ozil is going to create hell for opposition defenses. Passes per90 Good numbers. Key Passes per90 Truly elite Time on Pitch% The percentage of minutes a player actual plays against the total available. I think we have an understanding of the strengths of the player: Ozil is a creator, not a shooter. But his passing numbers - KP per90 and Assists per90 - are truly elite. Yes, there may be a slight Real Madrid boost in effect here, and some of Ozil's numbers may drop a little due to no longer playing in a team that scores 100 league goals a campaign, but this is a player of the highest quality. A game changer for Arsenal in terms of talent and a game changer for for Arsenal in terms of future recruitment of world class players.
Highlights