Mesut Ozil is plotting his next move after his Arsenal contract expires, and has ‘told friends’ that he will only consider joining a club in America or Turkey.
The World Cup winner is the highest earner at the Emirates but has not played a single minute since football returned in June.
Ozil has been left out of Arsenal’s last four squad by boss Mikel Arteta – with a minor back injury cited for his absence against Sheffield United in the FA Cup.
Ozil has twice been an unused sub since his Premier League return / Robin Jones / Getty Images
The Gunners were recently reported to be keen to offload the German and take him off the wage bill, given that he pockets £350,000 a week.
However, his contract does not expire until June 2021, and Ozil is happy to see his contract expire before moving elsewhere on a free transfer. According to The Sun, the 31-year-old has ‘told friends’ that he would only consider playing in Turkey or the US once he sees out the final year of his Arsenal contract.
Ozil has no plans to return to the Bundesliga after his performance at the 2018 World Cup and his meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which led to him being withdrawn from the national team after the tournament. Out of
Ozil was playing regularly before the coronavirus stopped football / Let’s not – Dean House / Getty Images
The midfielder fell out of favor at the Emirates under Unai Emery, but has been forced back into the Arsenal set-up since Mikel Arteta took over in December.
However, he has been an unused substitute twice and has been left out of the team on five occasions since returning to football. Asked about Ozil in early July, Arteta said: “I’m sure he’s not very happy because he’s not playing.
“I am expecting a player who is not playing to be hurt and disappointed. I want all my players to perform at their best and have the ability to help the squad as much as possible… That is my only intention.”