Mesut Ozil rejected Arsenal transfer exit this month despite £200k-a-week contract offer

Posted Thursday, October 15, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Mesut Ozil had the chance to leave Arsenal and still earn £200,000 a week earlier this month.

Mesut Ozil rejected a move away from Arsenal earlier this month but rejected the chance to move to the Saudi Professional League despite a contract offer that would have paid him around £200,000 a week.

The Arsenal playmaker sees his deal at the Emirates expire in less than a year's time and the Gunners will not hand him an extension.

The former Germany international has rarely justified his £350,000-a-week wages since he was handed a new big-money deal by Arsene Wenger at the start of 2018.

Ozil, 31, has not even played for the north London club since March having been left in exile by Mikel Arteta.

His seven-year stint in the English capital will come to an end next summer but Arsenal would ideally like to fast-track his exit to get his salary off of their wage bill.

Mesut Ozil rejected Arsenal transfer exit this month despite £200k-a-week contract offer (Image: GETTY)

The club have held talks with Ozil's representatives about cutting his contract short but have had no success thus far.

And now, Fabrizio Romano claims the former Real Madrid attacking midfielder had an opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia this month to play for Al-Nassr.

It had been claimed earlier this month a £5million bid was made to take Ozil out to Asia, but Romano says even an offer worth £10.8m a season - roughly £200,000 a week - could not convince him.

"The market is still open in Saudi Arabia, the bid was from Al-Nassr," Romano told his Here We Go podcast.

"We talked about them, they were trying for Atalanta's Papu Gomez, they were trying for many top players in Europe.

"Papu said no and the same for Mesut Ozil. It was an important bid, a three-year contract by Al-Nassr with important wages.

"It was like €12m per season. Papu Gomez was €8m, Ozil's offer was more than this.

"But he said no, he wants to stay in this moment in European football. He's happy at Arsenal.

"Obviously he wants to play more than this but at the moment he's said no, he's not moving to Al-Nassr.

"But we'll see what happens with his situation in January."

Talking about Ozil this week, legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told BBC Sport that Arteta should find a way to reintegrate him into the team.

Wenger, who had Arteta as a player at Arsenal for five years, said: "I feel it is a waste for him.

"Firstly because he's in the years where a player of his talent can produce the most. And it's a waste for the club as well because he's a super talent, a creative talent that in the final third can create that killer pass.

Mesut Ozil rejected Arsenal transfer exit this month despite £200k-a-week contract offer (Image: GETTY)

"The way football is going at the moment it's quick counter-pressing, quick transitions and everybody plays the same.

"It's kicked out players like Ozil. Although let's not forget who this guy is. A world champion who has played at Real Madrid.

"He's been the record player of assists, so you have to find a way to get him involved again."

Whether a European club is able to match the wages on offer from Al-Nassr in 2021 or whether the Saudi club return with a fresh offer for the creative midfielder remains to be seen.