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Mesut Ozil is “deeply disappointed” to be expelled from Arsenal’s Premier League team and insists his loyalty to the club has not been reciprocated.
The 32-year-old is the highest paid player in Arsenal history, but has now been omitted from both the Premier League and the Europa League.
Ozil has not played a single minute for the Gunners since March 7, having initially been a mainstay of the team following the appointment of Mikel Arteta last year.
“This is a difficult message to write to the Arsenal fans I have played for in recent years,” he wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“I am really deeply disappointed that I have not signed up for the Premier League season just yet.”
Former Germany international Ozil questioned Arsenal’s loyalty.
He signed his current contract, which expires next year, in January 2018, at the same time that Alexis Sánchez left for Manchester United.
“By signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and loyalty to the club that I love, Arsenal, and I am saddened that this was not reciprocated,” he added.
“As I just found out, loyalty is hard to come by these days. I’ve always tried to stay positive from week to week that there might be a chance to return to the team soon. That is why I have been silent until now.”
Ozil pledged to keep fighting to get back into the Arsenal team and to continue training to the best of his ability.
The German international said: “Whatever happens, I will continue to fight hard and will not let my eighth season at Arsenal end like this.”
“I can promise you that this difficult decision will not change anything in my way of thinking; I will continue to train to the best of my ability and whenever possible I will use my voice against inhumanity and for justice.”
Before the Covid-19 outbreak brought the season to a halt, Ozil had started every Premier League match since Arteta’s appointment as head coach in December.
Since then he has not been included in a team for the day and, together with Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who was also left out of both teams, Ozil will only be able to represent Arsenal U23 until at least 2021.
Ozil was reportedly one of three players who refused to accept a pay cut earlier in the year, while the club also distanced itself from a social media post by Ozil in December denouncing the treatment of Uighurs in China.
“Before the Coronavirus hiatus, I was very happy with the development under our new coach Mikel Arteta. We have been on a positive path and I would say that my performances were at a really good level,” the statement continued.
“But then things changed, again, and I was no longer allowed to play football for Arsenal.”
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