Mesut Ozil signs for Fenerbahçe when his seven and a half years at Arsenal finally end

Mesut Ozil officially confirmed his move to Fenerbahçe, ending his seven-and-a-half-year stay upside down at Arsenal.

The 32-year-old, who has not played for Arsenal since 7 March, arrives at the Turkish club by free transfer after his £ 350,000 weekly contract with the Gunners has ended.

Although the news has not yet been officially confirmed by any of the clubs, Ozil has now officially commented on the change, admitting that he is “very excited” in an interview with Turkish television channel NTV, also confirming that he will arrive in Istanbul on Monday morning. market .

‘I am a fan of Fenerbahçe. That’s why I’m very happy to come to Turkey with Fenerbahçe, ‘said Ozil. ‘I’m very excited. God gave me the chance to wear this shirt as a Fenerbahçe fan. God willing, I will take this with honor and do everything I can for the team, ‘he added.

“Sure, I’m missing out on a few games. I haven’t played in a while, but I’m physically fit, I have no problems, ”he said, adding that he trained with Arsenal’s first team during his time off the field.

This puts an end to Ozil’s long and controversial journey through north London, where he won three FA Cups and a Community Shield after his arrival on a record £ 42.5 million contract with Real Madrid under Arsene Wenger.

The 2014 World Cup winner with Germany has not been competing for Gunners in over 10 months, with his last appearance in the 1-0 win over West Ham in March, when he helped Alexandre Lacazette.

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

He was voted Club Player of the Season in 2015-16, when he finished second in the Premier League for Leicester City.

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

The star was involved in the 2014 FA Cup victory against Hull City, which ended Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought, as well as when he defended the Cup title against Villa a year later.

He also participated in the Gunners’ Cup victory over Chelsea in 2017, but failed to face the same opponents in the Europa League final two years later.

Ozil also played 90 minutes in the 2018 EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City.

However, since signing a new £ 350,000 contract in January 2018, making him the highest-paid player in the club, he has struggled to achieve the best form after Arsene Wenger left the club that summer.

He had a somewhat high and low relationship with Unai Emery – but he looked rejuvenated in the first two months of Mikel Arteta’s reign in the Emirates.

But he did not play post-lockdown – and was only involved in two teams of the round, both in June – and recently turned to social media to show his affection for Arsenal, in addition to his disappointment at not being involved.

He was neither selected in the Premier League nor in the Europa League this season, but continued to train with the starting lineup.

The Athletic claim that Ozil was set to win around £ 7 million at Emirates Stadium by the end of the current campaign, but an early cancellation has been agreed.

Ozil also recently spoke about his affection for Fenerbahçe during a question and answer session on Twitter.

He teased fans by saying, ‘I grew up as a Fenerbahçe fan when I was a kid in Germany – every German-Turkish cheers for a Turkish team when they grow up in Germany.

– And mine was Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country. ‘

When asked by other Twitter followers about his favorite neighborhood in the city, Ozil replied ‘Kadikoy’, which is where the club’s stadium is located.