It remains unclear whether 19-year-old midfielder Mesut Özil wants to stay at Bundesliga side Schalke 04.
Reports in Turkey (the German U-21 international is of Turkish origin) claim that Özil is resisting a deal to stay at the Veltins-Arena until 2011 amid interest from English giants Arsenal.
Matters haven't been helped after German newspaper Bild printed what are allegedly the terms of the extension offered to the player by Schalke.
"This contract saga needs to be cleared up soon in a sit down meeting," explained Schalke's sporting director Andreas Müller to Kicker.
Initial talks are reported to have taken place during the Königsblauen's winter training camp in Belek, Turkey.
Commitment Needed
"We have discussed the present situation with the player and once again made clear to him that we expect a clear commitment from him to Schalke 04," Müller had earlier told the club's official website.
"There is no ultimatum, but it would be best for Mesut if he could clear his head of all these things before the season kicks off again."
No Guaranteed Starting Spot
Özil is thought to be unhappy at not having a regular starting spot in the Schalke side. Coach Mirko Slomka has usually opted to play either Ivan Rakitic or Carlos-Javier Grossmüller in the central midfield role, with Özil also often overlooked as a candidate for Schalke's wide positions.
Nevertheless, he featured in 11 of the Königsblauen's opening 17 Bundesliga games, and a further four times in the Champions League, and Müller stressed that the youngster had an important part to play at Schalke, both this season and in years to come. "Mesut is a very good players with tremendous prospects," he told Kicker.
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