Arsenal transfer news: Mesut Ozil’s agent issues update on midfielder’s future and potential Fenerbahce move

Erkut Sogut insists Ozil will see out his current contract before deciding what his net move will be in 2021

Jack de Menezes
Friday 27 March 2020 16:03 GMT
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January transfer window 2020 round-up

Mesut Ozil’s agent has insisted that the midfielder will see out his contract with Arsenal and not pursue a move away from the club, while refusing to rule out a move to Fenerbahce when he eventually leaves the Emirates Stadium.

Ozil is out of contract next summer and his hefty £350,000-a-week wage has become something of a hindrance for Arsenal, with both Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey leaving the club as a result of the former Germany international’s enormous contract.

Speculation is rife that the club would prefer to offload Ozil in order to free up his wages to be used elsewhere, with the 31-year-old not always a regular starter anymore after seeing both Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta rotate him in and out of the starting line-up.

But with few clubs able to accommodate a player with such large wage demands – and even fewer or those showing interest in a player whose best days appear to be behind him – Arsenal are likely to find themselves unable to shift Ozil before his contract expires in 2021.

That scenario looks all the more likely after Ozil’s agent, Erkut Sogut, revealed that he will see out his contract in north London before deciding on his next move.

“You never know in football. First of all, you can never predict the movement of players,” Sogut told Goal.

“I have said it before and I am saying it again that he (Ozil) is really happy where he is at Arsenal. He still has a contract to go and there is no change.”

The former Real Madrid midfielder has been linked with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce due to his childhood support of the club and their previous interest in his services, and Sogut was not ruling anything out from 2021.

“We will see what the future holds when the contract ends but for now, there is nothing I can say,” he added.

Ozil’s participation this season has been affected by the attempted carjacking he was the victim to last July alongside Arsenal teammate Sead Kolasinac, which saw both given time off in order to deal with the incident that took place in north London.

Sogut had to fulfil the role of a liaison between player and club during the difficult times that followed, with Ozil fearing for his and his family’s safety in case the same happened as the pair were deliberately targeted.

“This is the other part which we do,” Sogut explained. “This will not be the first time such will happen but the most important thing is to work with the club to make the best out of it because the clubs obviously would want to help the players to have a secured life.

“So when things like this happen, you meet with the club and ask them how best these players can be made secure again and focus on football as soon as possible.”

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