- Ozil joined Arsenal from Madrid in 2013
- Joined on the deadline day
- Signed a five-year deal with the Gunners
WHAT HAPPENED? The former German international announced his retirement from professional football on Wednesday at the age of 34, having starred as a playmaker for Real Madrid and Arsenal in the prime years of his career. In the summer of 2013, Ozil was signed by Arsenal from the Spanish giants in a five-year deal for a club-record fee of £42.4 million. It was late at night when the deal was announced by Jim White and Natalie Sawyer on Sky Sports News, but that did not stop a group of enthusiastic Gunners fans from celebrating wildly in front of the Emirates Stadium on live television.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ozil went on to make 254 appearances for the Gunners, recording 44 goals and 79 assists along the way. He also won four FA Cup titles with the north London outfit before falling out of favour and eventually agreeing to terminate his contract in January 2021.
WHAT NEXT? Ozil is set to begin a new chapter of his life after retiring from football, having spent the final year of career in Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir, and it remains to be seen whether he remains associated with the sport in any capacity in the future.
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