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On Tuesday, Arsenal released their 25-man list for the Premier League and the Gunners officially confirmed what many had known for a while, Mesut Ozil will not be making another appearance for the club.
The 32-year-old has not appeared for the club since March, with a back issue being cited as the official reason for his exclusion.
The player, however, refuted those claims and suggested he was fit enough to play, leading to speculation that all was not well between Mesut Ozil and the Arsenal board.
This has been a long-running issue that started during Unai Emery's tenure at the club but the appointment of Mikel Arteta led to a widespread belief that the former Germany international would be reintegrated back into the team.
For the first few weeks of Arteta's tenure, Mesut Ozil played regularly but things took a turn for the worse following the resumption of football following the COVID-19 lockdown. The former Real Madrid man was not included in the squad for 12 of the Gunners' 14 matches post-lockdown, and did not step off the bench in the two games he was included.
It has been the same story so far this season, and despite Arsenal's glaring lack of creativity, Mikel Arteta has still not included Mesut Ozil in his team.
Mesut Ozil breaks silence on Arsenal predicament, stresses his loyalty to the club
Following his exclusion from the Arsenal Premier League squad, Mesut Ozil finally broke his silence on the issue, penning a heartfelt post on his official Instagram page.
''This a difficult message to write to the @Arsenal fans that I’ve played for over the past few years. I’m really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being," Ozil wrote.
''Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated. As I have just found out, loyalty is hard to come by nowadays," Ozil's post continued.
''I've always tried to remain positive and thought there's maybe a chance to get back in the squad again. That's why I kept silent. Before the COVID-19 break, I was really happy with the development under our new coach Mikel Arteta - we've been on a positive path and I would say my performances were on a really good level," revealed Ozil.
''But then things changed, again, and I was no longer allowed to play football for Arsenal. What else can I say? London still feels like home, I still have many good friends in this team, and I still feel a strong connection with the fans of this club," Ozil wrote.
Mesut Ozil is known for his passionate stand on societal issues and he promised to continue doing so in the future.
''No matter what, I will keep fighting for my chance and not let my 8th season at Arsenal end like this. I can promise you that this hard decision won't change anything in my mindset. I will continue to train as best as I can and use my voice against inhumanity and for justice wherever possible," Ozil concluded.
It is unknown what the next step in Mesut Ozil's career will be but a move away in January has been mooted, with MLS clubs said to be interested.
