Ozil ‘closer than ever’ to Arsenal exit

 

Mesut Ozil’s time at Arsenal looks to be coming to an end, after Fenerbahce Sporting Director, Emre Belozoglu, said the player is “closer than ever” to joining the Turkish club.

The 32-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

However, his representatives have held negotiations with Fenerbahce, as well as DC United about a move during this transfer window.

Ozil was not registered in Mikel Arteta’s Premier League and Europa League squads for this season and has not played for the Gunners since March.

Speaking to Turkish media about the prospect of Ozil moving to Fenerbahce, Emre said: “We had a meeting with him and his agent. It’s happening slowly, but Mesut is closer than ever to Fenerbahce. The fact that Mesut’s childhood dream is still alive and Fenerbahce has such a dream has made this step so close for the first time.

“After Mesut is done with the negotiations with his club, we will have our own negotiations among ourselves. If Mesut can make a deal with his club on the terms we expect, it won’t be a burden for us financially considering our limits this year.

“Fenerbahce, or any club for this matter, can’t afford to pay salaries of 4-5m 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.”