Arsenal castaway Mesut Ozil ‘opens talks with DC United’ as MLS side pitch lucrative offer ‘including personalised merchandise line’ and ‘expansion of German star’s own coffee brand inside club’s Audi Field stadium’
- Mesut Ozil has reportedly entered talks with MLS outfir DC United over a move
- Ozil would become the club’s biggest name since they signed Wayne Rooney
- German remains contracted to Arsenal on £350,000-per-week until summer
- Mikel Arteta is hopeful of getting castaway off the wage bill so Arsenal can build
Mesut Ozil has reportedly entered negotiations with MLS side DC United, giving the first signals yet that his Arsenal career may finally be about to come to an end.
Ozil is firmly out of favour at the Emirates and hasn’t played a single game all season after being left out of both official squads for the Premier League and Europa League.
The German – Arsenal’s highest ever earner on astronomical wages in the region of £350,000-per-week – is now listening to a package deal as proposed by the American side, according to Football London.
Mesut Ozil may finally be about to end his Arsenal tenure after reports of transfer talks
It is reported that DC United’s offer includes the expansion of Ozil’s 39 Steps Coffee brand in their Audi Field stadium along with his own personal merchandise line.
Plans are also said to have been drawn up to make him the ‘face’ of the Washington-based side, assisting his branding across the wider world.
Ozil hasn’t played a competitive game since March but remains contracted until the summer
Mesut’s agent Dr Erkut Sogut also reportedly has a close relationship with DC United executive Sam Porter, who was influential in bringing Wayne Rooney to the club summer of 2018.
Ozil would feature as the next marquee name for the club after Rooney, though has not played a competitive game since March and is lacking in match fitness.
Recently manager Mikel Arteta had hinted at a mass exodus of names in January, after admitting ‘we cannot sustain the numbers we have.’
Ozil however had always previously insisted he would be seeing out the remainder of his lucrative Arsenal deal, which is set to expire in summer.
The Washington club have a history of signing big names after securing Wayne Rooney
This is the first time Ozil and his party have been reported to have entered negotiations to secure a move away, and a potential January exit would hugely free up space on the Gunners’ wage bill ahead of a summer rebuild.
Defender Sead Kolasinac is soon set to depart the club, as is veteran centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Earlier in the week Arsenal confirmed the departure of William Saliba, after the youngster secured a loan exit to Ligue 1 side Nice.
