Mesut Ozil Goes To London

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

London football powerhouse Arsenal has broken its own transfer record with the €50m (£42.5m) purchase of Turkish-German midfielder Mesut Ozil from Spanish giants Real Madrid. It was a move that has nearly tripled the club’s previous high for a transfer. And, the deal was completed only 30 minutes before the close of the British transfer window on September 2nd. Attacking midfielder wasn’t necessarily at the top of Arsenal’s wish list. But their fanbase was growing restless at the club’s inactivity on the transfer front. And the availability of a top-class talent like Ozil proved too great a temptation to resist.

Ozil becomes the third most expensive signing in British football history, behind Fernando Torres, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool for £50m in 2011, and Carlos Tevez, who cost Manchester City £47m. He has agreed a five-year contract, which is worth £150,000 a week plus bonuses. The 24-year-old underwent his Arsenal medical in Germany where he is preparing with his national team for the World Cup qualifier against Austria later this week.

Ozil is excited to work with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Ozil told the press: “It will be great for my own personal development as a player and I am particularly looking forward to working with Arsene Wenger. I am thrilled to be joining a club of the stature of Arsenal and am looking forward to playing in the Premier League. It is clear the club has huge ambition and I look forward to being part of an exciting future.” Wenger, himself, added: “We are extremely pleased to have signed Mesut Özil. He is a great player, with proven quality at both club and international level. We have watched and admired him for some time, as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player.”

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