Legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has advised Mikel Arteta he must support Mesut Ozil to get the best out of him and insisted the midfielder is not hard to manage.

Attacking midfielder Ozil was left out of Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads for the first half of the campaign despite earning a whopping £350,000 a week.

Arsenal have been struggling in Ozil’s absence and sit 15th in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s clash against Burnley.

Wenger, who spent five years working with Ozil at Arsenal after bringing him to the club, has told Arteta how he can get the German playmaker firing ahead of his possible re-inclusion to the squad in February, report the Mail.

Speaking to ESPN’s Caught Offside podcast, the 71-year-old said: “He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun.

“He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive. They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best.

“You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same – the same intensity of work, the same defensive work – or you find a compromise.

“You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies. That is what you have to think about.’

Arsenal had appeared to be moving in the right direction under Arteta but a string of disappointing results has seen them slip closer to the relegation zone than the top six.

Arsenal have noticeably struggled for creativity, scoring just 10 goals – only more than West Brom, Burnley and Sheffield United.

It has led to speculation that Arteta could recall Ozil when he re-submits his squad after the January transfer window.

Ozil, whose deal expires in the summer, is keen to stay and fight for his place in the team in the second half of the season but Arsenal may reportedly look to push him out the door, according to ESPN as per The Daily Express.

The 32-year-old has interest from Turkish side Fenerbahce, and DC United, La Galaxy and Inter Miami in the MLS.