Turkish giants, Fenerbahce have officially announced the signing of Mesut Ozil as a free agent after the midfielder terminated his £350,000 a week contract with Arsenal last weekend.
The confirmation finally brings an end to Ozil’s seven-and-a-half-year at Arsenal after he failed to make an appearance for the club since March 2020.
The 32-year-old former Germany midfielder has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Turkish side.
Ozil, who joined the Gunners from Real Madrid for £42.4m in 2013, won three FA Cups with Arsenal and scored 44 goals in 254 appearances in all competitions for them.
The former Real Madrid star visited Arsenal’s London Colney training ground last Sunday to say final farewells to his teammates before flying to Istanbul that evening to begin his medicals.
“I’d like to thank the club for this amazing journey over the past seven-and-a-half years," Ozil said. "The support I have felt from the team and fans during my time here has been truly incredible and something I will always be grateful for. Together we won trophies for the first time in years and created memories that will last a lifetime. The Arsenal fans will forever remain in my heart.
"I’d like to thank Edu Gaspar for helping bring about a professional and dignified solution in the past few days, and I wish everyone at the club the best in their attempt to continue to bring Arsenal back to the top, where we belong.”
Arteta added: “Mesut’s achievements at Arsenal are undisputed. It was a privilege to play alongside him and, more recently, coach him. His creativity and vision led to many goals during his time in the Arsenal shirt. Mesut was at the heart of many great moments for this club over the years, including those three FA Cup final wins. These successes will always be part of our history. We thank Mesut and wish him all the best with Fenerbahce.”
In a separate message on Twitter, Özil wrote: “As I said, the past few months haven’t been the easiest. Like every player, I want to play every minute of football for my team. In life, however, things don’t always play out how we want or expect them to. But it is important to look for the positives in life and not negatives, which is why I try to live life with no regrets and holding no grudges.”
This comes after the Turkish club's president Ali Koc asked fans for donation to help fund Mesut Ozil's £13m salary after his move from Arsenal.
He is expected to earn £67,300-a-week or £3.5m-a-year until 2024, which is far lesser than the £350,000-a-week he earned at Arsenal.
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