Arsenal Ironing Out Controversial Defender’s Exit: Report

Mesut Ozil may have had enough of his holdout and will return to football action soon. It seems talks with Fenerbahce has been progressing well, and a deal could be announced soon, a report says.

This development would be a big relief for Arsenal FC. Ozil is owed roughly £7 million ($9.5 million) in salary. Such has become a burden for the club, particularly in getting the players needed to help its campaign.

All this could be ending soon, with unnamed sources saying that Ozil and Arsenal FC agreed to settle the final payment of the German defender, ESPN reported. However, the report said Ozil will have to give up an unspecified portion of the money left in his current pact. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

The 32-year-old football player has not been in action since he was left out by Mikel Arteta in the Premier League and Europa League lineup, although there were speculations he could return this January.

But that was until interest grew in the German midfielder. Aside from Fenerbahce, DC United from Major League Soccer (MLS) also explored possibilities. Unfortunately, it appears FB has beaten them for the services of the German player.

If made official, it would end the seven-and-a-half-year stint of the 32-year-old defender. He joined the Gunners in 2013 following a record £42.4 million ($57.6 million) deal. He has played 184 Premier League matches and won three FA Cups with the Gunners.

Ozil appeared to be doing fine under Arteta’s watch before the COVID-19 pandemic set in. The German’s fortunes took a different turn from there and nothing has been the same since.

The German will try to pick up from where he left off as he fulfills a dream to play for Fenerbahce, a team he has followed since he was a child.

But as mentioned in a previous report, there is added work to be done by the Turkish team if the Ozil deal is sealed. Fenerbahce sporting director Emre Belozoglu said they need to hold internal negotiations and crunch numbers.

"Fenerbahce, or any club for this matter, can't afford to pay salaries of four to five million euros to football players anymore. There's no way we would pay amounts that would upset balances within Fenerbahce or affect other players' salaries; we can't afford that," he explained.