Mesut Ozil has officially confirmed his move to Fenerbahce, bringing to an end his topsy-turvy seven-and-a-half year stay at Arsenal.
The 32-year-old, who had not featured for Arsenal since March 7, joins the Turkish club on a free transfer after his £350,000-a-week Gunners contract was terminated.
While the news has not yet been officially announced, Ozil has now spoken out about the move, admitting he is ‘very excited’ in an interview with Turkish television channel NTV.
Mesut Ozil poses with a Fenerbahce scarf after touching down in Istanbul on Sunday night
Ozil earlier shared a snap of him and his family on a plane with Fenerbahce flags behind him
Ozil has brought his time at Arsenal to an end after a difficult seven and a half years in London
The German playmaker was the club’s record signing when he moved from Real Madrid in 2013
‘I am a Fenerbahce fan. That is why I am very happy to be coming to Turkey with Fenerbahce,’ Ozil said. ‘I’m very excited. God gave me the chance to wear this jersey as a Fenerbahce fan. God willing, I will carry it with honour and do everything I can for the team,’ he added.
‘Of course, I’m missing a few matches. I haven’t played in a match in a while, but I am physically fit, I have no issues,’ he said, adding he had been training with the first team at Arsenal during his time off the pitch.
Ozil arrived in Istanbul late on Sunday evening, with Fenerbahce tweeting some pictures of their impending signing, alongside the message: ‘Our club is bringing Mesut Ozil to Istanbul to continue the transfer processes.’
The 32-year-old was also pictured holding a Fenerbahce scarf and his official unveiling by the club is all that is left to do.
The move brings to an end Ozil’s long and controversial spell in north London, where he won three FA Cups and one Community Shield following his arrival in a then club-record £42.5million deal from Real Madrid under Arsene Wenger.
Ozil touches down in Istanbul on Sunday evening to finalise his move to Fenerbahce
The Arsenal man posed alongside his family while wearing a Fenerbahce scarf after arriving
Ozil also won three FA Cups during his spell at the club (pictured here after the 2015 triumph)
The 2014 World Cup winner with Germany has not featured competitively for the Gunners in more than 10 months, with his last appearance coming in March’s 1-0 win against West Ham when he assisted Alexandre Lacazette.
Ozil leaves Arsenal having played 254 matches for the club, scoring 44 goals and recording 77 assists in more than seven years.
He was named the club’s Player of the Season in 2015-16, when they finished second in the Premier League to Leicester City.
Ozil was also named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month on three separate occasions in 2015.
The playmaker was involved in the 2014 FA Cup final victory against Hull City, which ended Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought, as well as when they defended their Cup crown against Villa a year later.
He also played a part in the Gunners’ Cup triumph over Chelsea in 2017, but came up short against the same opponents in the Europa League final two years later.
The playmaker celebrates with fans after Arsenal broke their nine-year trophy drought in 2014
Ozil also played 90 minutes in the 2018 EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City.
However, since signing a new £350,000 deal in January 2018, making him the highest-paid player at the club, he struggled to hit top form once Arsene Wenger left the club that summer.
He had a somewhat up-and-down relationship with Unai Emery – yet seemed rejuvenated in the first two months of Mikel Arteta’s reign at the Emirates.
The German has not played under Mikel Arteta since the first coronavirus lockdown last year
But he has not played post-lockdown – and has only been involved in two matchday squads, both back in June – and has recently taken to social media to display his affection for Arsenal alongside his disappointment at not being involved.
He was not selected in either the Premier League or the Europa League squads this season yet has continued to train with the first team.
The Athletic claim Ozil was set to earn around £7million at the Emirates Stadium between now and the end of the current campaign, but an early termination was agreed.
Ozil has also recently spoken of his affection for Fenerbahce during a Twitter Q&A.
Ozil has not played for the Gunners since March 2020 and has finally parted ways with the club
Ozil teased fans about a move to Fenerbahce, calling them the ‘biggest club’ in Turkey
He teased fans by saying: ‘I grew up as a Fenerbahce fan as a kid in Germany – every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when they grow 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 followers which was his favourite district in the city, Ozil replied ‘Kadikoy’, which is where the club’s stadium is located.
Ozil recently posted a throwback picture of himself in Istanbul as talk over a move heated up