German defender hails his compatriot.
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Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has said that new signing Mesut Ozil has been settling quickly into life in north London and the club are already reaping the benefits, Sky Sports reports.
Ozil arrived at Arsenal on transfer deadline day from Real Madrid for a club record £43m and following a series of strong displays he managed to net his first goal for his new club in the 2-0 victory over Italian giants Napoli on Wednesday.
And Mertesacker has paid tribute to his fellow German international by saying that he has settled into life in the Premier League with the greatest of ease.
“I need to (help Ozil settle), because it is very important to get him into the squad quickly, so that he can adapt and play with freedom.
“That is what he is – his vision is enormous and with him we are more dangerous and can compete at the higher levels.
“We try to make it comfortable for him to adapt as quickly as possible and it fits.
“Against Napoli, you felt that he could play 90 minutes on a high level, he can make the difference at any time in the game.
“We are delighted to have him here and to help him to get into the team. He has shown that he respects our game and that he does fit in.
“We can expect a lot (more) from him in the coming weeks, you could see that we needed his contribution and he is the right addition.”
Mertesacker also went to to express his delight at the growing number of Germans arriving at the Emirates as he is now joined in the first team squad by Lukas Podolski and Serge Gnarby.
“At first I was on my own here, with no Germans in the senior Arsenal squad, so it took me maybe one season to settle in completely,” he said.
“I am delighted with my current form and my performances, but in football life changes so quickly, you have to be aware of every situation.
“We have a good and strong squad, if everybody is fit, the boss has a good selection.
“I think we now have a squad to compete at the high level and that is what we need to do in the coming weeks.”