According to German newspaper Bild, German midfield maestro Mesut Ozil has penned down a contract extension with the London-based club Arsenal on Tuesday. Ozil’s previous contract with the North Londoners ran until 2018.
Henning Feint, a journalist for the German media publication had tweeted, “Mesut [Ozil] gets a new mega contract with Arsenal.”
He further added, “It states he will now wear the number 10 instead of 11,”.
The no. 10 shirt was previously worn by midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is currently on loan to AFC Bournemouth. Ozil is also understood to be confident about the new kit number as he said earlier this month that he ‘definitely’ wants to wear the number 10 jersey.
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“It just went free and I definitely want it,” said Ozil in an interview to German newspaper Express. “I'd wanted the number for years but so did Lukas Podolski. And he got to keep it because he had more caps than I did. Now I've pounced,” he continued.
However, the attacking midfielder has to wait until next season in order to occupy the number 10 kit as the English Football Association prevents any changes made mid-season.
The contract extension is believed to make Ozil the highest earning player in the squad. The 27-year-old was reportedly earning £140,000-a-week previously at the club.
However, the duration of the new contract extension is still unclear. Feint also tweeted that details about the contract extension will be available Wednesday. “It will all be in all the papers tomorrow,” tweeted the journalist.
Mesut Ozil has been a revelation for the Gunners since he had joined the club in 2013. The World Cup winner has since scored 22 goals and assisted another 43, helping the Gunners win two consecutive FA Cups.
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Since the start of the current season, Ozil’s future at the club was unclear. However, being Arsene Wenger’s golden egg it was expected that the German might sign a contract extension but nobody would have thought about a ‘mega deal’ for the German considering Arsenal’s wage policy.
Ozil also revealed why he would like the number 10 jersey at Arsenal. “It's my favorite number. Football legends like Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona and Pele wore that number on their backs,” he said.
Ozil has scored two goals in six appearances in all competitions this season.
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