ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Mesut Ozil said farewell to Arsenal teammates and flew to Turkey on Sunday to join Fenerbahce in a bid to reignite a once-flourishing career that faltered in London.
The former Germany midfielder, who is of Turkish descent, hasn’t played for Arsenal since March after falling out of favor with manager Mikel Arteta over concerns about the player’s work rate.
“I am very excited. I’ve said I’m a Fenerbahce fan. I am very happy to be coming to Fenerbahce,” Ozil said in a telephone interview with Turkish broadcaster BBO Sports. “God has granted me the chance to wear the Fenerbahce uniform as a Fenerbahce fan.