(Ed’s note – Posting submissions on the website hasn’t been straightforward in the time yours truly was travelling from one end of South Africa to the other. However, I am hoping to catch up over the next few days. Here’s a piece submitted on 25 June before Germany had played England or Argentina)

If Cesc Fabregas is to leave Arsenal this summer, in my eyes there is only one player in world football that represents a true like-for-like replacement.

Well, when I say only one; I mean one that doesn’t already play in the ‘azulgrana’ of Barcelona – I’m sure Xavi, Messi or Iniesta would do a sterling job but Barcelona will never part with their club talismans, nor Arsenal with the cash neccessary to pay their wages. So we can confidently discard that trio from any Cesc contingency plans.

So who outside of Barcelona has the creative genius, passing range, composure and close control to rival Cesc Fabregas?

As far as I’m concerned it’s Mesut Özil.

Mesut’s statistics for last season, although impressive, might suggest that the midfielder does not quite match up to Fabregas in terms of outright productivity:

ÖZIL: Games 29 Goals 9 Assists 12
CESC: Games 26 Goals 15 Assists 13

Mesut, though, you should remember is a year younger than his Spanish counterpart, which means that perhaps it’s Cesc’s 2008/9 stats to which we should compare him by:

CESC AT SAME AGE: Games 22 Goals 3 Assists 8

Although Cesc’s statistics were not hugely impressive that year, something changed for him over the course of that 2008/9 season.

Perhaps it was the combined confidence that becoming European Champion and captain of Arsenal bestows, but somehow Cesc went from being that silky-skilled player full of potential, but still slightly lightweight; to becoming a real heavyweight in the division.

A leader of the club both in name (as he was made captain) and in action; topping the club’s scoring and assist charts and risking, if not life then most definitely limb, to drag Arsenal back into the Arsenal - Barça Champions League tie.

But let’s not forget, Mesut Özil also became a European champion in 2009; his German U21 side were crowned champions after his midfield masterpiece performance in the final almost single handedly dismantled the English side in their 4-0 win: Özil set up the first and third, and scored the second with a rasping long range strike. The goals can be seen here.

So is this also to be the breakthrough season for Mesut Özil?

It certainly seems that way. He is now fast becoming a key figure in the full national side, something which cannot yet be said for Fabregas who has been limited to a super-sub role thus far.

Mesut on the other hand has been at the heart of all that has been good about his side’s play.

His incisive passing opened up the Australian defences in their first group game - he was involved in the opener as his delighful pass to Muller enabled him to find the onrushing Podolski. And his well timed run and assist put the cherry on their 4-0 mauling of Australia. The goals can be seen here.

Although Germany lost their second group game against Serbia they’d looked well in control of the fixture and even when they fell behind looked a dead cert to equalise: until that is, Ozil was withdrawn, after which they faded badly.

But the moment that will perhaps mark the making of Mesut occurred in the final group game against Ghana. German hopes hung on very thin thread indeed. After all, with an hour played they’d still not found a way past the resilient Ghanian defence; and as the scores stood, Serbia had only to score once against Australia and Germany would be heading home.

Every way the Germans turned they were met by a solid line of defence, but then after a series of short passes, suddenly Otzil found an opening.