Aaron Ramsey says Arsenal had a player just like Andrea Pirlo but Mikel Arteta released him for free

Arsenal have had many creative players over the years.

From Dennis Bergkamp to Cesc Fabregas, the Gunners have often built their best teams around technically gifted footballers capable of changing games in an instant.

One player who divided opinion massively during his time in north London was Mesut Ozil.

Some supporters adored him for his vision and elegance, while others criticised his work-rate and intensity off the ball.

Now, Aaron Ramsey has compared the German to one of the greatest midfielders football has ever seen – Andrea Pirlo.

Give us one sentence to decide: Mesut Ozil, overrated or underrated?

Aaron Ramsey says Mesut Ozil was like Andrea Pirlo at Arsenal

Ramsey loved playing alongside Ozil during their time together at Arsenal.

The Welshman was one of the players who benefited most from the German’s incredible passing ability and football intelligence.

At his peak, Ozil could create chances nobody else on the pitch could even see.

His vision and timing made Arsenal one of the most entertaining teams in Europe to watch during Arsene Wenger’s later years.

However, Ozil’s style often attracted criticism because he never looked particularly intense or energetic on the pitch.

Ramsey believes that misunderstanding was similar to how some people viewed Pirlo during his career.

Speaking about Ozil, Ramsey explained how the German’s calmness and intelligence were actually what made him so special.

He said on Stadium Astro: “Yeah, I think once we knew that there was a chance of getting him, I think we were all excited as players. We all knew about his qualities, and obviously, he was playing at Real Madrid at the time and the amount of assists that he had.

“And, yeah, as a midfielder myself, I was so excited to be able to have that link up with him where I knew I liked to make third man runs, run beyond the striker.

“His weight of pass and his vision were immaculate, and I knew that I would have had a few chances with him in my team. So I was really looking forward to that. And yeah, I loved playing with Mes. I think he was a great player for us.

“Some people would say that maybe he wasn’t working hard enough and things like that, but I think that was his nature. That was the way, like we said about Pirlo earlier, he had a sort of calmness about him.

“There was no rush, things were done in his own time, but still really effective on the pitch.

“And I think Mes was a little bit similar as well. Where I saw the good in Mes and what he brought to the team and the amount of assists and the vision and the way that he linked the team, I think was exceptional.”

What was your first reaction when Mikel Arteta axed Mesut Ozil at Arsenal? What do you think about that decision now?

Mikel Arteta letting Mesut Ozil leave Arsenal for free still feels strange

By the time Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal, Ozil was no longer at the peak of his powers.

The game had evolved physically and tactically, and the German no longer fit the intense style Arteta wanted from his team.

However, there is still a feeling among many supporters that Arsenal never truly replaced the creativity Ozil brought to the side.

Even towards the end of his career, his technical quality and ability to unlock deep defences remained elite.

Arteta ultimately decided to freeze him out completely before Ozil eventually left the club for free.

Given the level of talent Ramsey has just described, that still feels like a very strange ending to one of Arsenal’s most gifted modern players.