Mesut Ozil has been announced as a new İstanbul Basaksehir player after his contract at Fenerbahce was terminated. The midfielder was dropped from the Fenerbahce squad due to an issue with coach Ismail Kartal and it was confirmed on Wednesday that he has left the club.
Basaksehir quickly emerged as the favourites to sign the Germany international and have confirmed that they have a deal in place for the 33-year-old.
What do we know about Ozil's move to Basaksehir?
Fenerbahce announced Ozil's departure in a statement that read: "It has been agreed that the contract between our club and Mesut Ozil will be terminated by mutual agreement... We wish Mesut Ozil success for the rest of his career."
Meanwhile, fellow Super Lig team Basaksehir have already wrapped up a deal with the ex-Arsenal star.
The club posted on Twitter a quote that president Goksel Gumusdag made about Ozil to Bild in 2018.
The quote reads: "One day our paths will cross in Basaksehir".
In that interview, the president added: "If he wants to come, we will do everything we can to get him."
Basaksehir followed up by tagging Ozil in a post confirming that an official announcement on the playmaker is on the way.
How did Ozil perform at Fenerbahce?
Ozil joined the Turkish giants from Arsenal in January 2021, signing a contract that was scheduled to expire in the summer of 2024.
However, he was unable to live up to expectations at the club and was subsequently dropped from the squad due to a falling out with Kartal.
Fenerbahce made a change in manager this summer, bringing in Jorge Jesus to take over, but the Portuguese admitted that there would be no place in the team for Ozil.
He told reporters: "He is a well-known player around the world. But I will follow exactly what was the end of the Ozil era."
The 33-year-old leaves the club having made 36 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals.
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