Mesut Ozil ‘agrees to join Fenerbahce – but with Arsenal STILL paying his wages for the first six months’

Ozil, who joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2013, has been out of Mikel Arteta’s plans since he took charge.

The door has been open for his exit since last year and Ozil has now agreed to make the move to Turkey where he has strong links.

Mesut Ozil posted this image on Tuesday, which was a throwback picture of him in Istanbul

Ozil had said he was happy to run down his contract, which was due to expire this summer

The 32-year-old has been firmly out of favour under Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

Reports in Turkey suggest it is a ‘dream move’ for the 32-year-old who will join the 19-time Turkish league winners this month.

He has agreed a three-and-a-half year contract, which brings to an end his £350,000 per week deal at Arsenal. The Gunners will, however, pay his wages for the first six months of his Fenerbahce contract, which is worth £4.5m a year. Ozil will also receive a signing on fee of £2.2m.

Ozil, who had been in talks with US side DC United, posted a throwback picture on Tuesday night on Twitter of him in Istanbul with the caption: ‘This city.’

He has been firmly out of favour at the Emirates under Arteta and hasn’t played a single game all season after being left out of both official squads for the Premier League and Europa League. 

Arteta hinted recently that Arsenal’s big earners would have to leave the club in January, adding: ‘We cannot sustain the numbers we have.’

Ozil had been happy to see out his current deal, which was due to expire in the summer.

Arsene Wenger, who was the manager who signed Ozil from Real Madrid in 2013 for then a club-record fee of £42million, suggested last month that Arteta should work with the midfielder to help him rediscover his best form.

Wenger worked with Ozil at Arsenal for five years – a period in which the club won the FA Cup three times – and remains the only manager at the Emirates to get the best out of the 2014 World Cup winner.

Wenger told ESPN’s Caught Offside podcast: ‘He was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun.

‘He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive. They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best.

‘You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same – the same intensity of work, the same defensive work – or you find a compromise.

‘You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies. That is what you have to think about.’