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According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is reportedly open to joining Serie A outfit AC Milan and could move as a free agent. The report adds that the Italian giants have maintained contact with the midfielder's entourage to try to gauge his willingness to join the club.
Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then club-record fee of £42.5 million. During his seven years with the Gunners, the playmaker has registered 44 goals and 77 assists in 254 appearances.
The German helped end Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought, winning the FA Cup in 2014. He later became victorious in two more FA Cup campaigns. He would also record the second-most assists (19) in a Premier League season in 2015–16.
Mesut Ozil has, however, fallen out of favour at Arsenal after the departure of Arsene Wenger. The 31-year-old failed to establish himself as a regular starter under Wenger's successor Unai Emery and is now suffering the same fate under Mikel Arteta.
Mesut Ozil linked with move to AC Milan as Arsenal consider terminating his contract
Mesut Ozil has not made an appearance for Arsenal since the restart and has been left out of the Gunners 25-man squad for this season's Europa League.
The World Cup winner is currently Arsenal's highest-paid player, earning £350,000 per week in wages. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta does not see Ozil as a part of his plans for this season and is reportedly desperate to get his wages off their books.
Arsenal reportedly transfer-listed Ozil this summer but could not find any suitors for the playmaker due to his astronomical wage demands. The Gunners have even considered terminating his contract but will have to pay the German a £13 million settlement, a sum that they cannot afford.
AC Milan are reportedly keen to offer Mesut Ozil a way out of English football. Italy, in recent times, has become a popular destination for Premier League players who are looking for a new challenge or a way out of their current clubs.
The likes of Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Ashley Young and Pedro have all excelled in Serie A after leaving England.
Mesut Ozil may look to follow the footsteps of the aforementioned players as he hopes to rejuvenate his career. At AC Milan, Ozil will find himself playing for a club that has European football and an ambition to return to their glory days. There could also be a possible link-up with talismanic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
