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Mesut Özil “has no regrets” about his stint at Arsenal after completing his move to Fenerbahce, ultimately drawing a line on what he called an “incredible journey”.
The playmaker’s transfer had been almost certain since he agreed to a deal to terminate his contract with Arsenal last weekend, then said goodbye to his teammates at the club’s training ground and traveled to Turkey to sign for his new club. Confirmation was delayed by loose ends and a quarantine period, but the 32-year-old is now available to play for Fenerbahce, third in the Turkish Super Lig.
“I would like to thank the club for this incredible journey over the past seven and a half years,” said Özil, whose £ 350,000-a-week contract was due to expire at the end of June, in a statement on the Arsenal website. “The support I have felt from the team and the fans during my time here has been truly incredible and something I will always be grateful for.
“Together we win trophies for the first time in years and create memories that will last a lifetime. The Arsenal fans will remain in my heart forever ”.
Özil thanked Edu, Arsenal’s technical director, for helping to come up with “a professional and dignified solution” to what had become an unseemly impasse. He clashed with the club over its refusal to accept a pay cut last summer, while it became clear in October, when Mikel Arteta omitted Özil from his 25-man Premier League and Europa League squads, that both sides would have to go ahead. . There were doubts about whether an early termination could be reached, but now Özil, who has not played for Arsenal since March, will continue his career at the club he followed as a child.
In a separate post on Instagram, Özil admitted that he would have sought a more uplifting ending. “Like I said, the last few months have not been the easiest,” he wrote. “Like every player, I want to play every minute of football for my team. In life, however, things don’t always turn out the way we want or expect. But it is important to look for the positive in life and not the negative, so I try to live life without regrets and without holding a grudge. “
Arteta, Özil’s teammate during his days as a player at Arsenal, said that his achievements had been “indisputable” and that working with him had been a “privilege”. Özil played 254 games for Arsenal, scored 44 goals and provided 71 assists, and won three FA Cups.
As a creative talent leaves, Arsenal move towards the loan of Real Madrid attacking midfielder Martin Ødegaard. The 22-year-old Norwegian international is close to joining until the end of the season after Arsenal fought back against Real Sociedad competition.
Özil’s signing is Fenerbahce’s second in two days, and the Turkish club announced on Saturday that it had reached a deal with QPR for Bright Osayi-Samuel.
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