Mesut Ozil edging closer to Arsenal exit in January, Fenerbahce emerge front runners

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been forced to sit on the sidelines, particularly since the arrival of manager Mikel Arteta the previous season. The Germany international was closer to an exit last summer, but a deal could not be agreed upon with any prospective club. But his time at the Emirates, coupled with misery, is said to come to an end next month with a Turkish outfit keen on roping him in the winter transfer window.

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Ozil contract ends in 2021, Gunners unwilling to extend stay 

Ozil’s contract with Arsenal runs out at the end of the current season. The London-based outfit do not wish to extend his contract beyond the current deal and were keen on selling him off in the previous summer to avoid losing him out on a free exit in June 2021. The club's stand have ignited the Ozil transfer talks.

But his hefty wages posed a deterrent in prospective clubs agreeing to a deal for Ozil. Subsequently, he was dropped off Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squads having last played for the Gunners in March. But a Turkish club is set to provide an escape route for the 2014 World Cup winner in January.

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Ozil to Fenerbahce? Club member confirms talks 

While speaking to Sport Digitale, Fenerbahce congress member Murat Zorlu has confirmed that the former Real Madrid midfielder is 90% joining the Super Lig side in January. He claims a source close to the club has told him that Ozil will be a Fenerbahce player in the winter transfer window. Interestingly, the Arsenal outcast has been linked with several other Turkish clubs for quite some time now.

Ozil’s wife Amine Gulse was crowned Miss Turkey in 2014 and enjoys a massive fan following in the Eastern European country. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old is also from Turkish descent, which is why the reports of a move to the Super Lig cannot be completed ruled out.

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Arteta clarifies on excluding Ozil 

Ozil has not played a single minute since the start of the current campaign citing his complicated relationship with the club hierarchy. Arteta, when asked on his decision not to rely on the German midfielder, insists he has been given sufficient opportunities to bounce back in the starting lineup but has failed.

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Image courtesy: Mesut Ozil Instagram