Amid mounting claims of imminent Arsenal exit, Mesut Ozil drops major Fenerbahce hint

Out in the cold

Much of the media chatter surrounding ongoings at the Emirates of late has of course centered on former German international Ozil.

This comes with Mikel Arteta having doubled down on his efforts to freeze the ex-Real Madrid man out of his first-team setup this season.

Upon Spanish tactician Arteta taking the reins in north London late last year, Ozil’s initial experience actually proved quite positive. The 32-year-old was afforded a consistent string of starts by his new boss, suggesting that he was set to prove central to the plans of Arteta moving forward.

Bizarrely, however, since football’s return on the back of the initial Covid-19 outbreak during the summer, Ozil has not received a single minute of playing time.

Arteta, meanwhile, has made crystal clear that this situation is unlikely to change any time soon, through a pair of high-profile calls.

First, the Arsenal boss opted to omit Ozil from his Europa League group stage squad.

And this was swiftly followed by news that the gifted midfielder had also not been afforded a place in the Gunners’ 25-man Premier League panel.

Arsenal’s Premier League squad in full. As expected, Ozil and Sokratis miss out. pic.twitter.com/Jy0KlxxO0b

— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_) October 20, 2020

Fener bound

Much has since been made of such decisions, with Arsenal’s struggles for creativity over lengthy stretches of the campaign having seen many point towards Ozil as a potential solution.

Nevertheless, the widespread assumption has long remained that, with Arteta likely to be handed until at least the end of the season to fully prove himself, Ozil’s career in north London is all but over.

And, in turn, speculation in the media has begun to mount of late that a January exit could be on the cards.

Murat Zorlu, a member of congress at Turkish heavyweights Fenerbahce, recently went as far as to suggest that a winter move to the Super Lig had emerged as a near certainty for the Arsenal man.

And, if the latest word stemming from the European media on Tuesday is to be believed, then Zorlu’s knowledge of the situation appears to have been spot on.

As per a growing number of outlets in Turkey over the last 24 hours, Ozil is now all-but a Fenerbahce player.

Journalist Berkay Tokgoz has gone as far as to claim that a deal is already complete, with the experienced midfielder having even picked out the no.23 jersey at the Ülker Stadium:

Yılın bombası patlıyor.

Mesut Özil Fenerbahçe’de.

Aksi bir durum olmazsa 23 numaralı formayı giyecek. pic.twitter.com/VEh89Z7uvf

— Berkay Tokgöz (@berkaytokgozz) January 5, 2021

Elsewhere, meanwhile, according to Sport Witness, an ‘In The Know’ with close sources to Fener’s transfer business has also labelled the transfer as highly likely to come to fruition this month.

‘This city…’

If the host of aforementioned updates were not enough to point towards a deal being imminent, though, what certainly has is the latest social media activity on the part of none other than Ozil himself.

In a post on his official Twitter account this evening, the 32-year-old revealed a photo of himself in Istanbul, the city in which Fenerbahce play, accompanied by the simple caption ‘this city…’

This city … 🙌🏼🇹🇷 #throwback #Istanbul pic.twitter.com/6gani0scjL

— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) January 5, 2021

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Source: 101greatgoals.com