Mesut Ozil signs for Fenerbahce as he finally ends his seven-and-a-half years at Arsenal

Mesut Ozil has officially confirmed his move to Fenerbahce, ending his seven-and-a-half-year stay at Arsenal.

The 32-year-old, who has not played for Arsenal since March 7, is joining the Turkish club for a free transfer after his £ 350,000-a-week contract was terminated.

Although the news has not yet been officially confirmed by any club, Ozil officially spoke about the move, acknowledging that he is “very pleased” in an interview with Turkish TV channel NTV, also confirming that he will arrive in Istanbul on Monday morning. .

“I am a Fenerbahce fan. That’s why I’m very happy to be coming to Turkey with Fenerbahce, ‘said Ozil. ‘I’m very excited. God gave me the chance to wear this T-shirt as a Fenerbahce fan. If God wills, I will wear it with honor and I will do everything I can for the team ‘, he added.

– Of course, I’m missing a few games. I haven’t played in a match for a while, but I’m in physical shape, I have no problems’, he said, adding that he trained with the first team at Arsenal during his time on the field.

Ozil’s long and controversial time in north London is coming to an end, where he has won three FA Cups and a Community Shield after arriving in a £ 42.5m deal from Real Madrid under Arsene Wenger.

The 2014 World Cup winner with Germany has not competed for the Gunners in more than 10 months, his last appearance in March’s 1-0 win over West Ham when he assisted Alexandre Lacazette.

Ozil leaves Arsenal after playing 254 games for the club, scoring 44 goals and scoring 77 assists in more than seven years.

He was named the player of the club’s season in 2015-16, when they finished second in the Premier League in Leicester City.

Ozil was also named PFA Fan of the Moon Player on three separate occasions in 2015.

The player was involved in the 2014 FA Cup final victory against Hull City, which ended the nine-year drought of Arsenal’s trophy, as well as when they defended their Cup crown against Villa a year later.

He also played a role in the Gunners’ Cup triumph over Chelsea in 2017, but faced the same opponents in the Europa League final two years later.

Ozil played another 90 minutes in the final loss of the 2018 EFL Cup against Manchester City.

However, since signing a new £ 350,000 deal in January 2018, making him the club’s highest paid player, he has struggled to reach top form once Arsene Wenger left the club that summer.

He had a somewhat up-and-down relationship with Unai Emery – yet he seemed rejuvenated in the first two months of Mikel Arteta’s reign in the Emirates.

But he did not play post-blocking – and was only involved in two teams on both days, both in June – and recently went on social media to show his affection for Arsenal, along with the disappointment of not being involved. .

He was not selected in either the Premier League or the Europa League this season, but continued to train with the first team.

athletic claims that Ozil was supposed to earn around £ 7 million at the Emirates Stadium from now until the end of the current campaign, but an early termination was agreed.

Ozil also recently spoke about his affection for Fenerbahce during a Q&A on Twitter.

He teased the fans, saying: “I grew up as a Fenerbahce fan as a child in Germany – every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when he grows up in Germany.

“And mine was Fenerbahce.” Fenerbahce is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country.

When asked by another Twitter follower what his favorite neighborhood in the city was, Ozil answered “Kadikoy”, where the club’s stadium is located.