After seven-and-a-half years, the curtain is finally closing on Mesut Ozil's Arsenal career. After enduring a nightmarish spell under current manager Mikel Arteta, the German is on the brink of terminating his contract in a bid to leave north London this month, according to the Athletic.
The Gunners have tried – and failed – several times before to get the 2014 World Cup winner out the door. It is no secret that the club want his £350,000-a-week – which translates to just above $475,000 per week – salary off the wage bill. Despite rejecting previous attempts, a breakthrough in negotiations has seen Ozil and the club agree in principle to a contract termination.
A few details will have to be ironed out but Ozil's contract, which was set to end this summer, appears destined to end prematurely, paving the way for a January exit. The 32-year-old has been heavily linked with the MLS and DC United, but the German is expected to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
The Super Lig powerhouse is the club Mesut has supported since a child and he even spoke highly the Yellow Canaries in a recent Q&A session, admitting that they were one of two teams he'd love to join after Arsenal.
With Kolasinac having left for Schalke, Sokratis close to an Emirates Stadium exit, and now Ozil set to end his tenure at the club; the Gunners will be happy to have moved on the deadwood. The former Real Madrid playmaker is one of the highest-paid players in the English top-flight, which has left his north London employers in a huge predicament given that he had fallen out of favor with the current manager and previous boss Unai Emery.
The midfielder has been one of the most polarizing players in recent history, with some supporters hailing him as an unfairly treated club legend while other members of the fan base slamming his as a costly flop. However, what is not up for debate is the role the German ace played in his team's recent success. He won four FA Cup crowns under his belt, though he played his part in only three of those successful runs, and racked up 254 appearances for the north London giants.