Mesut Ozil 'willing' to terminate Arsenal contract to secure move away
By Ali Rampling
Mesut Ozil and Arsenal are in negotiations regarding a potential early contract termination to enable the World Cup winner to secure a move elsewhere.
One of Arsene Wenger's final acts as Arsenal manager was to tie Ozil down to a new long-term deal in 2018, with the playmaker becoming the biggest earner in the club's history, pocketing £350,000 per week.
However, Ozil has been used more sparingly by Wenger's successors Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta and his first team opportunities have been non-existent this season after being left out of the Gunners' Premier League and Europa League squads.
Ozil had previously stated that he intended to remain at the Emirates and see out his contract, but according to the Athletic, he would be prepared to forego some of his wages in order to secure a move away from north London.
The 32-year-old is poised to pocket £7m between January and the conclusion of his current Arsenal deal at the end of June - but would be willing to leave some of this on the table to ensure an exit from the Emirates.
Arsenal and Ozil's representatives are in negotiations about potentially terminating his contract prematurely. However, if an agreement cannot be reached, he will continue to train with the Gunners first team until his deal expires.
Should Ozil depart Arsenal in January, it will only be to Fenerbahce. 90min understands that the Turkish side have agreed a deal to sign him on loan in January, before securing a permanent move following the expiration of his contract in the summer.
"He always said that if he came to Turkey, he would only play for Fenerbahce," Ozil's agent said on Thursday. "I think it is very important that Mesut comes not only as a footballer but also as a lover of Fenerbahce. There is a process at the moment. We can’t say it’s over until we’ve signed it in the process. I hope so."