Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has remained tight-lipped over the prospect of Mesut Ozil returning to the fold this month.

The 32-year-old is still waiting for his first taste of football since March after being left out of the Gunners' Premier League and Europa League squads for the 2020-21 season.

Creativity has been a glaring problem for Arsenal this term, and while the emergence of Emile Smith Rowe has been welcomed by Arteta, some fans are still calling for Ozil's reinstatement.

However, Arteta admits that he is unsure whether or not the playmaker will return to the squad, telling reporters at a press conference: "We will see what happens in the transfer window and we will assess at the end of that.

"You have to respect the players' contracts. What you can do is just try to be open with them, tell them your intentions, the role that they have in the team and why that is.

"They are entitled to make the decision in their lives because they have a contract here. Some would like to move because they are not playing and some would like to stay. That's something we cannot decide by ourselves."

Ozil's fellow outcast Sokratis, who has also been frozen out of the team this season, is reportedly close to sealing a switch to Fenerbahce as he runs down the final few months of his Gunners contract.