Mesut Ozil left behind the difficult period at Arsenal and joined Fenerbahce. The former German national team midfielder landed in Turkey today (Monday) to sign with his new team.
Ozil (32) has been released from his Arsenal contract which promised him a salary of £ 350,000 a week. He joined the Turkish club on a free transfer after not participating at all in the Gunners’ games for the past ten months and was not included in manager Mikal Arte’s plans.
Mesut Ozil with the new scarf
(Photo: AFP)
And with the fans
(Photo: AFP)
Upon arriving in Turkey, Ozil was photographed with Fenerbahce’s scarf next to the team’s fans, saying: “I am very excited. I have always been a Fener fan. God gave me the opportunity to play in the team and I will proudly wear her shirt.” As a member of the large Turkish community in Germany, he has not previously hidden his sympathy for Turkish ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan and even met with him.
Ozil, who in 2013 is considered Arsenal’s biggest transfer who paid £ 42m for him, commented on his current fitness: “Obviously I am missing games, I have not played for a long time but I am physically fit”.
Next to the Turkish flag on the plane to Istanbul
(Photo: AFP)
Ozil recorded 254 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 44 goals and scoring 77. He was named his team’s Footballer of the Year in 2016, finishing second in the Premier League behind Leicester, the then sensational champions. At the same time, the current transfer puts an end to the controversial period during which a rift arose between him and the club.
Fenerbahce, Ozil’s new team, is ranked second in the Turkish league, three points behind leaders Shikatsh, who have played one more game.