According to Mundo Deportivo [translated by Sport Witness], Arsene Wenger has given permission to Mesut Ozil and his agent Erkut Sogut to negotiate a move away from the Emirates in January.

Arsenal appear to have given up hope on getting the Germany international to sign a new contract at the Emirates and would rather secure a transfer fee in the new year rather than lose him for free next summer.

The Catalan press believes that Barcelona now favours a cut-price move for Ozil, somewhere in the region of €20 million, rather than a budget-busting deal for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.

Obviously, the terms need to suit Ozil who knows that he could seal a bumper deal as a free agent. The report suggests there could be a sticking point over the length of the contract on offer with Barcelona, as things stand, only willing to offer an initial 18-month deal.

So what do we make of this? While the club would ideally hold onto its biggest stars as it looks to secure a return to the Champions League, it wouldn’t be surprising if either Sanchez or Ozil did leave in January.

Last month, Wenger noted of possible sales: “In our situation, we have envisaged every solution. It is possible.”

The key to making the situation slightly more palatable is whether incoming funds are reinvested. Looking back at the summer we would have let Sanchez leave for City if a deal for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar could have been done in time.

Perhaps the arrival of new Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat might aid future dealings. We’ll see.