So much for all the transfer rumor stories linking Mesut Ozil to Manchester United and Real Madrid. The German hero is staying put at Arsenal, putting pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him in north London until 2021. It’s also a contract that makes him the highest paid player in Gunners history.
The midfielder will be earning about ยฃ350,000 a week before tax, reports the BBC.
Ozil had been set to see his contract expire at the end of the season, just like his former teammate Alexis Sanchez. With Sanchez moving on to United this January transfer window, it was thought that Mesut Ozil might reunite with him at Old Trafford. Obviously that’s not going to happen. Today, also brought the news of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being officially confirmed as the newest Arsenal striker; breaking the club transfer fee record.
It seems logical that this addition had some influence toward Ozil’s decision. When you pair a finisher like Aubameyang with a playmaker like Ozil, it’s a combination with a ton of potential.
Ozil had nine goals and 20 assists during the 2015-16 season, for which he was named Arsenal’s player of the season. Early on, there was a lot of talk of the German international as the favorite for PFA Player of the Year. That talk of course cooled when his form regressed back to the mean, and when Arsenal fell out of the title race.
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