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Arsenal superstar Mesut Ozil could still cost the club millions despite rumours of a potential transfer being on the cards, as per reports. The German playmaker, who has not featured for the Gunners in nearly ten months, has been linked with a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Ozil was axed entirely by Mikel Arteta and Arsenal after leaving him out of their Premier League and UEFA Europa League squads in October. The 32-year-old still remains their highest-paid player as he draws a staggering salary of £350,000-a-week due to the new deal he signed just under two years ago.
A report claims that Arsenal 'fear' that Ozil could opt to remain in North London as opposed to moving to Turkey in the winter so as to be able to pick up the remainder of the wages owed to him by Arsenal. There are 25 weeks left on his current deal at the Emirates, and should he remain at the club until the contract expires, he will be able to pick up a whopping sum of £8.75m in wages.
Furthermore, Fenerbahce find themselves in a financial crisis as they're currently in a debt of £275m, which could make matters worse for Arsenal's hopes of an immediate transfer. Ozil is also in line for a loyalty bonus at the end of his contract, which he will be owed should he remain at the club until the summer even if he does not feature for Arteta's side.
Due to these factors, there is a very real possibility of the World Cup winner snubbing an immediate move to Fenerbahce and opt for a summer transfer instead.
Mesut Ozil's agent discusses Arsenal star's future
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil's agent, Dr Erkut Sogut, believes that there will be a sense of clarity over his client's future in the next 'seven to ten days'. He feels that the transfer window being officially open will enable things to move quicker as his camp weren't legally allowed to discuss a move away from Arsenal before January 1.
Speaking about the German superstar's future, Sogut remarked;
"We were not allowed to talk legally before January 1, so now we are just starting to look at the options with the numbers and details. I can't talk about the clubs directly because it would be unprofessional, but generally, there is six months left on the contract, and it is nothing unusual that we will talk to people about different opportunities and try to find the best option for Mesut [Ozil]."
The Arsenal midfielder's agent continued,
"He might stay at Arsenal until the summer but he might go. Mesut's priority is to stay but you never know in football, things can change very fast. For the moment, we are just checking all the options for January and the summer. If we want to leave in January, I need to talk to Arsenal. If we sign for the summer, we don't need to. That's the situation."
"In the next seven to ten days, it will be a little clearer as now the transfer window is open, things can move faster."
Ozil's last appearance for the club was back in March 2020 in a 1-0 victory over West Ham, during which he provided the decisive pass that led to Alexandre Lacazette's winner.
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