The future of Mesut Ozil, like Alexis Sanchez, has been the subject of much speculation over the course of the season.

The former Real Madrid man is heading into the last 12 months of his deal and as yet no new terms have been agreed.

With Arsenal struggling, however, Ozil wants to put that distraction to one side and focus on what the team need to do between now and the end of the season.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Monday night’s clash with Boro, the German said of his contractual situation, “I think at the moment it would be wrong to really think about that, to go ahead and look at that.

“At the moment the team we’re having a more difficult spell and at this stage I’m not important and no other player is important. What’s important is the club.

“We’ve got aims that we want to meet this season. There’s still lots for us to play for. We want to qualify desperately for the Champions League for next season as well.”

As for when talks might take place, he continued, “We’ll talk in the summer and we’ll clear things then but for the moment, all that’s important is Arsenal and not me and not any other player – it’s just the club.

“What we need to do is fight, to do what we can.

“It’s not just about the boss or the fans – it’s about the whole club and playing for the whole club.”

Nice words, but let’s see them translated into actions when we visit the Riverside on Easter Monday.