You can see why Mesut Ozil has legions of admirers. The Arsenal attacking midfielder has everything: superb technique, an unexpected and impressive burst of pace, splendid power and balance and rare, enviable vision. If you were inventing the perfect footballer for the modern Premier League, he would not be far from Ozil.

But what do you do with the man who has everything yet gives next to nothing? Freddie Ljungberg will wrestle with that conundrum for as long as he is in charge at Arsenal. The next manager – be it Carlo Ancelotti or Mikel Arteta – will inherit a huge problem. Unai Emery never got to grips with the player. He is not alone.

Arsene Wenger brought the now 31-year-old to north London in 2013 and struggled to work out what motivated the German. One of the seminal moments for the Frenchman occurred at the Etihad three years ago, just before Christmas. Arsenal were leading Manchester City – the teams meet again on Sunday at the Emirates – by a single goal at half-time but self-destructed in the second period and eventually lost 2-1. Ozil was abysmal.

It had been a bad week for the former Real Madrid playmaker. Four days earlier he was visibly intimidated by the fierce atmosphere at Goodison Park as Arsenal squandered another lead to Everton and at the Etihad he was as inconsequential as a ghost as City got on top. Actually, that is the wrong analogy: ghosts scare people.

What bemused Wenger, though, was Ozil’s reaction afterwards. He raged in the dressing room and took out his anger on a locker.

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It is not unusual for players to batter inanimate objects after a game but most express some of that aggression on the pitch. During the game, Ozil had been as meek as a puppy. Wenger found it hard to understand why the World Cup winner could not channel some of that bellicosity into the 90 minutes. It was a sequence of events that proved to Wenger that he had bet the last part of his Arsenal career on the wrong man.

Who would gamble on Ozil now? He is by far the most talented player at the club but also the biggest liability. There is little chance of offloading him, as Ancelotti did when Real manager. He enjoys living in London, is under contract until the summer of 2021 and on a prohibitive salary of £350,000 per week. Ancelotti alluded to Ozil’s “character” when he shipped the German out of the Bernabeu. The Italian knew when to cut his losses.

Arteta, a graduate of the Pep Guardiola school of intensity, does not appear to be a man who would indulge Ozil. The midfielder was very positive about Ljungberg after Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Monday but if the Swede is to have any chance of getting the job full time, he will need to see a different Ozil from the one we have come to know.

Picking the Arsenal team should be a no-brainer. Ozil has all the qualities to build a side around. No one else in the Premier League has the range of skills to turn games and dominate them. Unfortunately, he lacks leadership and application, a point some of his teammates are keen to make in private.

But anyone who thinks he lacks passion or is not stung by criticism is mistaken. Putting the boot into lockers is only part of it. After Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final two years ago he took to social media to mock journalists who had predicted a rout for the Blues. Wenger hoped in vain he could use this component of Ozil’s personality to inspire better performances but the brilliance flickered too rarely. The next manager, like Emery, might just give up on him.

It would be thrilling to see Ozil make a statement against City on Sunday by putting in a shift and showing the full range of his abilities. It would be even better if he could generate a run of games where he dominates proceedings. Arsenal have plenty of attacking ability but the one man who could easily propel the team back into the top four is Ozil. Most fans at the Emirates have given up hoping he will turn it around.

Is there a more frustrating player than Ozil currently in the Premier League? (Getty)