Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has claimed contract talks with attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil are ongoing.
Both Ozil and fellow first-teamer Alexis Sanchez are in the last two years of their respective contracts, and Arsenal are eager to tie down their two star performers to new deals.
The pair have performed well over the past few weeks, with Sanchez scoring twice against Sunderland on Saturday with Ozil providing an assist during the 4-1 win.
Speaking to Arsenal'sofficial club website, Wenger claimed the talks with Ozil are still ongoing, but there is nothing new to report.
"There is nothing really concrete enough to talk about, but it is moving along," Wenger stated.
Ozil has established himself as one of the Premier League's best playmakers since making the move to north London back in 2013, and has been in great form recently, bagging a hat-trick in Arsenal's Champions League win overLudogorets.
He finished last season with eight goals and 20 assists and wassubsequently voted as Arsenal's Player of the Year by Gunners fans. The Germany international is likely to ask for a wage increase having performed so well over the past year or so.
Arsenal have started the season impressively, with their squad now looking more compact with strength in depth, and Wenger believes the size and qualityof the squad is optimal for success this season.
"We have a big squad and I believe a competitive squad is where the competition is fair inside the squad. If you have too many, there is no competition because some players will never play," Wenger continued.
"If there's not enough, there's not enough competition so it's detrimental as well. We have opted for a short number and quality, that disrupts less the way we play football and the technical stability."