What now for Mesut Özil? According to his employers the Arsenal playmaker missed yesterday’s thrilling north London derby with a back spasm, news that raised a few eyebrows among more cynical Gooners and other observers. Injured or not, his absence was rendered little more than a footnote on a day his teammates put in one of their best performances in recent memory to smite their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Having sat out consecutive matches for a team whose bold new blueprint does not appear to be tailored to his own undeniable strengths, Özil is now being linked with a summer move to Inter. While suggestions he has no future with Arsenal might seem rather premature, The Sun reports that “sources close to the 30-year-old” say he won’t agitate for a move before the end of this season, but “may consider his options in the summer”.

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Having beaten Tottenham on the pitch, Arsenal are also rumoured to be edging ahead of them in the battle to secure the services of Roma winger Cengiz Ünder. Gazzetto dello Sport says the club had scouts watching the 21-year-old as he scored a 30-yard screamer in his side’s 2-2 draw with Inter at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night. With nine goals and four assists to his name since being signed from Turkish club Basaksehir last summer, Ünder is the subject of interest from several European big-hitters and is valued at around £45m.

According to L’Equipe, Arsenal are also interested in bringing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar to the Emirates as a replacement for Aaron Ramsey, a state of affairs that seems rather odd considering how well Ramsey, who is already actually on their books, played after coming on as a second half substitute against Spurs. Reports from Spain say Real Madrid are interested in adding to their coterie of Welsh internationals and could shove a pre-contract agreement under Ramsey’s nose in January.

Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski hopes to sign a new contract with the Italian side in a development that spells bad news for Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp is a longtime admirer of the 24-year-old who has been repeatedly linked with a move to Anfield, but Italian daily Il Mattino says he is going nowhere anytime soon. Should the player ink a new deal with Napoli, his agent will insist on an €80m release clause.

And finally, having featured just once in Liverpool’s line-up this season, Nathaniel Clyne looks surplus to requirements at Anfield. The 27-year-old right-back is wanted on loan by Leicester City, Cardiff City and Fulham but would apparently prefer to kick-start his stalled career in his native London with Claudio Ranieri’s side.