Mesut Ozil sets Arsenal sights high next season at home and in Europe

Mesut Ozil is convinced Arsenal can win the Premier League and mount a serious challenge in Europe next season if they avoid injuries.

''We had bad luck with injuries this season but next season we can win the Premier League and go further in the Champions League,” Ozil said in an interview with the German magazine Kicker.

Arsene Wenger’s side finished the campaign strongly, securing third place and beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Wembley to retain the FA Cup. That went some way to make up for the disappointment of their defeat by Monaco in the last 16 of the Champions League and their failure to catch Chelsea after a slow start but there was still a lingering feeling of missed opportunities.

Ozil was absent for some three months because of a knee injury suffered in October and admits it was the hardest season of his career, coming after he played a full part in Germany’s World Cup triumph in Brazil. However, the 26-year-old won over many critics with a string of impressive displays as Arsenal recorded 10 victories from the final 15 league matches.

''For he first time in my life I had to deal with a serious injury,” said Ozil, who joined Arsenal in a club-record £42.5m deal in September 2013. “I feel it was a consequence of playing a lot games without a break over years. I was happy with the second half of the season. I wanted to show everybody that I am back. Winning the FA Cup means it was a successful year, so I am proud of that win.”

Ozil was glad to be able to repay the faith of his manager and become a firm fans’ favourite. “My best moment was the first game back after my injury. The fans cheered a lot when I was brought on. That was a brilliant feeling and helped me a lot. From then on I understood: no matter what happened, the club and the fans are always with me. But the most important thing is the opinion of my coach. I have a lot more self-confidence when he is with me. I always had that feeling with Arsene Wenger.”

Arsenal are expected to strengthen the squad over the summer, with the Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech said to be top of Wenger’s wanted list. The manager must also decide on the future of the forwards Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell, who has been linked with Fenerbahce, following loan spells.

The midfielder Abou Diaby, meanwhile, may yet still feature in Wenger’s plans for next season. The 29-year-old Frenchman, who has been plagued by injuries, was named on the Premier League’s released list of players out of contract at the end of this month.

However, it is understood Diaby, who made only one appearance in 2014-15, in the Capital One Cup, remains keen to agree another short-term deal, one which is likely to be appearance based, and is set to continue training at the club’s Hertfordshire base over the coming weeks.

The former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song is wanted by West Ham for next season after impressing on loan from Barcelona.

The co-chairman, David Sullivan, said: “I can assure you we have not given up on Alex Song yet. Before Christmas Alex was outstanding and if we believe we can get him back to that sort of form – and maybe with the new manager [Slaven Bilic] we can – we would very much like Alex to come. We are very thin on the ground with midfielders. You do get injuries and you need back-up. We have got Europe and other games we want to win.”