It has been confirmed that Mesut Ozil has joined Fenerbahce on a permanent deal.
The midfielder moves to Turkey after the player reached an agreement with Arsenal to terminate his contract six months early.
Signed by Arsene Wenger from Real Madrid for a then club-record fee of £42.5 million, Ozil made 254 appearances for the Gunners scoring 44 goals and making 77 assists.
He hasn’t played for the club since March, and was omitted completely from the playing squad for the 2020-21 campaign.
Best of luck to Mesut in Turkey.
Phew. The saga is over. Mustafi next!
Never been more excited about a signing.
Never been more excited about a departure.
Best of luck Mesut. You’ve done us pr… You’ve done us.
Might have just lost over 25 million plastic fans on Social media 🤣
I’ve been going over the Arsenal since 1974. Seen some fantastic footballers in that time and Ozil is up there with the most gifted I have seen. Not many season ticket holders who watched him live would argue. Still holds the most premiership chances created in a season.
I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. But to be a professional athlete you need two things – Talent and Determination.
If Ozil had Ronaldo’s mindset, he’d have a statue.
He’s going to a team consistently in the champions league team from a mid-table premiership team. Your comment seems a bit misguided. Do you think we’ll even be in Europa next year? He doesn’t have a statue because arsenal treats their greats like garbage. See Wenger’s send off.
Time heals all. I think even the most anti Wenger fans now feels an affinity towards him and his legacy.
And yeah, Fenerbahce are champions league but that doesn’t make it a step up. If he went to play for Basel you wouldn’t consider it a bigger club would you? Turkey is where football players go to end their careers, not write another chapter.
Does anyone actually believe he’ll still be in fenerbahce beyond August?! This whole deal is a scam to finally get him out of Arsenal. We’ll still be paying his 350k/wk thru the end of the contract allowing him to return to fener and play the hero for a few weeks before he ups and offs to MLS in August where he can continue to rake in the cash for zero effort in return.
I respect that answer but I feel like it’s an ode to the past. If players don’t come here to retire what the hell is Willian?
He doesnt have a statue because he hasnt delivered anything near warranting one
Apart from being one of the most creative players to have ever graced this great club
I don’t think so. There is a reason why no clubs in the top leagues would be interested in signing him. He has angered some big investors in the top football leagues with his Uighur comments. I think the problem was much bigger than what even the Arsenal board could manage.
Nobody has Ronaldos mindset besides Ronaldo, that’s why hes, well, Ronaldo. And you’re right, a professional athlete does need talent and determination – 2 things that have served ozil well in his fairly illustrious career. No need to take shots at a former player who has given us plenty of positive moments even if things soured by the end.
“Fairly illustrious”.
In the immortal words of Martin Tyler “That sums it all up”
Shame, the lad was one of the most gifted footballers I’ve ever seen play.
Those as old as me knew about Riquelme the Argentinian playmaker. Although Riquelme had a bit more to his game (free kicks), same problems same results. Lack of efforts in games at Barcelona and Villareal and was excluded from the team by Pellegrini. Went back home and won titles with River Plate. Wish same to Ozil with Fenerbahce.
Build a team around a player of his class if you want him to excel. He worked well with Giroud, Sanchez, Ramsey and Cazorla. Once we lost the group it was no longer the same.
How very modern of you, trying to split the fan base.
The various comments purportedly from MO smack of his PR team. They are really quite sickly. A genuine goodbye comment like Sokratis would have been sufficient. We did see some great play during the early part of his AFC career and he was a major reason for our first honours in years. We must not also forget it was a fairly long time ago that he was not picked for away matches because of his inability to help out under pressure. The 5-1 mauling at Liverpool when he was badly exposed was in 2014 so the issue has been around… Read more »
this is nitpicking and it is toxic. Socratis played just a copule of years compared to Ozil’s 7. Quit this kind of mindset
And yet he got an almost universally appreciative send off and Ozil, well… I think that kind of indicates the issue.
One wrong transfer by Wenger and couple of injuries basically put that pressure. Xhaka instead of Kante and Wilshere/Cazorla injuries meant that we didn’t have someone to help Coquelan. Plus he is from a certain class of players who are becoming rarer because everyone is now a heavy metal fan instead of classical.
The time of the genuine No. 10 will come in 10 years when all the clubs will be paying money for the runners and a new coach will come with idea to keep the ball and develop skills. Cycle of life.
Mustafi next … Blimey !!!
Hopefully he is shown the exit door this window, because if we wait till summer…arsenal being arsenal might give him a new contract.
Big summer of reshaping the team but without much of a budget.
A lot leaving at the end of their contracts and then we need to replace Xhaka. Willian would be great to get rid of but I can’t see that happening.
I would like to see players who have a great winning mentality. Henry used to score two goals and be unhappy about the big miss. Lauren was very very tough to play against. A striker dribbles past him, Kolo Toure would run like a lion and chase him until he put in a tackle.
I can’t remember seeing you play against Lauren.
Our recruitment is in the right direction since Wenger was sacked. Pepe and Willian are fantastic choices, and considering their low transfer fees and low wages, chances for being wrong are zero…NOT
TBF, this is the only departure that matters. Never a question of Mustafi giving his best or caring. Just wasn’t good enough. His wages don’t hamstring the club. If he leaves, fine, good luck. Ozil not caring, not giving his best and draining the wage pool was the rub. Looking forward to Ozil’s “Emi” treatment on here.
No one will miss Ozil, we have Willian
Puts in the same “performance” for the “cheap”. Definitive upgrade.
Thank God he’s finally gone. For any of those idiots who say they are Ozil FC and not Arsenal FC you are welcome to go with him, we don’t need toxic fans.
Just because Ozil had a number of supporters within the Arsenal sphere does not make them idiots. You can have disagreements with fellow supporters but please try and refrain from needless insults.
I have not seen a single comment on here that has 3ver said they are “Ozil FC”. Sure some people do believe that the way the club treated mesut Ozil was not appropriate and that we wasted a valuable asset as we often have in recent times…but that’s called having an opinion. Maybe just because people disagree with you doesn’t mean they don’t support the club.
I’m Arsene FC
the most stupid comment today
I have never heard of Ozil FC too. I don’t know who got your fancy but people who like raising strawmam arguments like you can fuck off.
Bön chance
Good fucking riddance more like.
Amazing player for three years, where he injected joy and left us in awe so many times. Big part of successful runs in fa cup.
Big disappointment during last two or three years. Can’t blame him for playing good hand and earning ridiculous contract. I blame gazidis and co.
Pitty it didn’t work out well all in all. But let’s have a healthy perspective, he wasn’t a total failure as many want to suggest.
Thanks and good luck.
Never a truer word spoken.
And now the next chapter begins. Over to you, Mikel and co.
One of the most talented players Arsenal has seen. Unfortunately he lacked the mindset or he would have a statue next to Berkamp
& Henry.
Like the club, I blame him for not accepting the pay cut. People washing dishes in restaurants lost income.
Those job losses were due to Stan Kroenke – not Mesut Ozil.
God, it’s pathetic what some people with a hate agenda will allow themselves to believe.
Özil was 100% right.
https://arseblog.news/2020/08/arsenal-seek-redundancies-as-billionaire-owners-show-their-true-colours/
Why the loan from the Bank of England then? 3 million pound a home game and 40,000+ season ticket holders money missing. Everyone else took it too. Just because your man who writes arseblog says it doesn’t mean it’s gospel.
The paycuts were supposed to be to prevent job losses. Soon after 55 people at the club lost their jobs. He didn’t take the paycut because he wanted assurances and more information on the paycuts. Others also refused a paycut also but their names were not publicised.
Others who refused the paycut where wrong. They get the money they get because they perform and it generates a lot of money. Football games were stopped at the time and no money was generated.
Afaik, Ozil and I think Auba, asked for guarantees that no one will be sacked, if they took pay cuts. But the club just said, take pay cut, and let us take our profits.
One week of Ozil pay cut money will be good enough for a life time Gunnersaurus contract.
It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times.
Big loss for the club. Big loss of money that is.
Fortunately, we got Willian in time to take over as the new lazy overpaid has-been!
Seriously though, a great player in his prime and once a game-changing transfer, wish him all the best – as long as it’s far from us.
Yeah – we have Willizil now to deal with…
Whaaaaat! Fenerbache?? When? How?
Just read it in the news! Well, this was unexpected.
I used to work for a small company where we introduced the exact same new product every two years. We also celebrated the 25th year with a customer event whereas the company was created 12 years earlier.
Poor bastards.
He’s their problem now.
Alas we still have you.
no doubt he’ll play out if his skin for a bit. And then his debilitating back problems will kick in…..
The sniffles will return 2 days before any away games north of Istanbul…
At last its over! Thanks for the good times back in the day
Thanks mesut, absolutely sublime football player. Was privileged to watch you play live. Never forget being at Wembley and watching you destroy Villa and then Chelsea in the fa cup finals. Wish you the very best. Thanks for some truly wonderful memories.
Fair enough but don’t forget the body language, the lack of fight and the constant injuries pre away games. Its a mixed bag – some great moments but also some dire performances .
you are petty
If Wenger had had a big enough squad . We could have coped with ozil not playing north of Watford. That season we only signed PETA cech..I blame the board and wenger , we were still hoping that Rosisky , Ramsey aNd Wilshire would not be injured probe also … hindsight
Sublime really is the best word to describe him.
At times, he was transcendentally brilliant and made you see what football could be.
At other times, he all but vanished into thin mist.
MÖ out
MØ in
Thank god there is finally and END to the saga. Hope Odegaard shines for us.
Well I’m glad that’s Ozick with
Ozer with?
No loan back agreement!?
Surprised.
The stats are not half bad to be honest.
Finally, it is over. Now to focus on the team and not individuals. hopefully, fans will unite in supporting the TEAM and not be divided due to their support in individuals only.
Team defense and team offense working in tandem. 11v11 no more passengers or excuses!
And then you woke up to realise Willian is still stinking the place out………
I would have loved to see us fit him back into the squad revitalised in the same way as ManUre seem to have done with Pogba.
However I recognise his critics’ viewpoint on his style not fitting into the modern game and the consequent downturn in those subtle chance creations.
I will always remember those Cup Finals he ran and the “what Ozil saw” passes.
Enjoy your final move Mesut and I hope you get no chance to provide the curse of the ex to us in a European game.
He played some decent games under Arteta including tearing Man U to shreds, creating more chances per 90 minuutes played than anyone else in the squad last season, and could have been brought back in to finish the season. Would have made more sense than bringing in the other MO who may take some time to settle (if it eventuates). Excluded for ‘footballing reasons’ though apparently. That and those non-negotiables. Good luck to him and thankfully the saga is done.
Great news as now we have space in the squad for a first teamer to be frozen out, train with the reserves and never play for the club again…
Step forward Willian!
Culture! Culture! Non-negotiables….or is it “some-negotiables”?
Or sometimes-negotiables
Just as we relieve the club on a monumental wage in Ozil, we now have Willian draining the club for 3 years. Please, no more old players looking for a rest.
Very good player, very poor value for money. If only we’d sold him two years before his contract was up we’d have been in the market for an A-list replacement. As it is, we plunged seriously into the red and from being Champions League regulars we are now just about Europa League standard.
Don’t look back in anger. We move on.
We would have been selling one of our key players at two years before new contract. We’d have been losing our two key players if we’d sold him at the same time as Sanchez.
20/20 vision is hindsight.
Fare thee well, Mesut.
It didn’t end well, but I am glad it’s ended.
Turkey is good for waning powers.
It is a sad that things has to end like this. I remember the night when he was signed – I was so excited! He was a top player for us for the first three seasons and then things went downhill. Many factors are responsible – some also his fault…
WHAT?? why has no one reported this?
Thank-you and good luck Ozil.
I still remember fondly the first time you assisted a goal for Giroud from the left. Not happy about how things ended but thank-you for the memories. Good luck Oz.
Good luck, and thank you. Regardless of how it ended, remember the feeling, when after beating S*urs Wenger’s smile and saying there might be a surprise. And he signed Özil.
Good riddance to bad rubish. I won’t miss him
Indeed career of 2 halves.
Good riddance, see ya later fuck head.
In unrelated but more interesting news, Jack Wilshere had rejoined Cherries, and promptly lost to a side managed by Rooney, with the only goal scored by none other than Krystian Bielik, who is apparently playing as a DM now.
Goodbye and good luck. What a total mess!
It was good when it was good. His second period never lived up to expectation and why and who is to blame is of less interest to me at this point but it was high time he went elsewhere.
Thanks for the good times Mesut, and best of luck in Turkey!
I think where the blame lies is important to the future of our club. We have to know that our management can do things properly when things go wrong.
The club paid him the top dollar when everyone was saying we’d get relegated to the North Northumberland league if he left! Something has gone badly wrong with both parties but he was a top quality footballer and to be honest I’ve yet to be convinced that our management team has done right by him or by the supporters ? I wish you luck Mezut hope it goes well but sad that your obvious talent has been wasted & sincerely hope there’s room in your suitcase for Willian !!!
Thank fuck for that
What a player he was we just pissing our pants about esr he wont be even 10%of the player but i thinks we are done with as a top team for a long time
Time to get arteta out and find a style and swagger thats suits our great team
I am so bored watching these pèformances since hes taken over but cant give up on a habit of 30years
We won the cup and charity shield with this piss poor style . Villa play better than us
We need grealish
Well said.
LEGO ball is not the way forward (no pun intended).
Arsenal without ESR and Saka are a yawn a minute. Yes, we won the Cup in August, but this season we have been absolutely disgraceful.
Arteta needs to turn this around and fast. Whether or not he is capable is another matter entirely; ultimately this club should be returning to the ECL and competing for the Premiership title on a regular basis. In other words, a return to life under Wenger. That is the benchmark for Arsenal Football Club. Top four – not mid table.
*life under Wenger before the last 2 seasons of life under Wenger.
Fixed it for you.
even the last two years were miles better than this, millions of miles
Cheerio-zil
I’m sad the way it has ended, very gifted player, and he did some astonishing things for us on the pitch. I’d say the last two and a half years haven’t been great for him, were a club in transition, and it’s clear both Unai and Mikel aren’t building the team around him as the focal point. Now is not the time to debate whether that is right or wrong, but it is what it is. I wish him all the best, I’ll still remember the excitement him signing was, and considering where we were as a club, 9 years… Read more »
Sometimes I wonder how many people on this site are just new Arsenal fans and say things like “So glad the saga is over!” Because hey weren’t even around to feel how incredible it was when we signed him from Madrid. And how awesome it was when he sprinted down the left flank and gave a pin point pass to Giroud for his first assist. (From memory)
Glad we can move on, but the early years were great. Thanks Mesut!
Absolutely spot on.
Too many people have short memories and tend to prefer to see things the way they want to.
He gave us some very good times first 3 seasons or so with us and even so toward the end, he still had good utility for us but was not used in a manner which would encourage his positives and diminish his negatives.
It is also the responsibility of the gaffers to get the best out of the player(s) on hand.
Class.All the best! Good departing speech. Towards later seasons he could not achieve as much output but he came in and transformed the club if momentarily, revived our fortunate with FA cups. Whilst his body language and languid nature tended to be misinterpreted as lazy, his output defensively was always the bigger issue albeit it was not want for lack of trying. I don’t think Arteta got the best out of him. even if he felt it was time to move on, we clearly have capability gaps in terms of depth of quality and to be able to call on… Read more »
Yeah, can’t have 2 on loan from the same PL team. Apparently the Odegaard deal is like 90% done. And yeah, I don’t get why Ceballos doesn’t get a go further upfield. Back in betis he was awesome as an 8/10 hybrid
Top post. The best post I’ve read on here in a long time.
You, sir, are a true Gooner and a true football fan.
🍺🍺
Good departing speech! Yeah written by the PR team…you’re so naive. He is still being paid by Arsenal. He lands in Istanbul for 6 months, gets his ego jacked off then onto MLS for the last cash grab. Wise up ffs.
This needed to come to an end and I’m glad it did. But I’m still sad that it came to this. I was really excited when he joined and he was brilliant for us in the early years as a Gunner. Some of the comments on here are a bit heartless. I really do wish him well for the remainder of his career and hope it ends on a positive for him.
Excellent. Time to move on.