According to the Daily Star via Turkish outlet Fotomac, Mesut Ozil has informed close friends that he rejected a pay cut as he would have been able to earn the same lower wage if he were to move to Fenerbahce.
Fotomac claim that the Turkish giants would have offered the attacking midfielder the same reduced wage if he was to join them this summer, the Star add that the ace has been heavily linked with a move to Turkey – where he is adored.
It’s added that Ozil told his close friends that accepting a pay cut at Arsenal wouldn’t make sense.
As per the Mirror, Ozil is one of only three Arsenal players to have rejected the club’s proposal to take a 12.5% wage cut.
Perhaps unfairly, Ozil, who is Arsenal’s highest earner with a whopping £350,000-a-week salary, is the only Gunners star to reject the pay cut that has been named by the media.
Ozil’s decision sparked massive controversy, with the World Cup winner facing spades of criticism from fans and pundits alike.
With the Star reporting that Ozil has just a year left on his Arsenal contract, is the media’s latest attack on the ace a suggestion that the 31-year-old will leave the Gunners when his deal expires?
Former Premier League and England star Darren Bent defended Ozil’s stance on TalkSPORT, suggesting that the playmaker is ‘public enemy number one’ and that ‘people gloss over the good he does.’
Ozil’s charitable gestures are well documented, is the treatment towards the former Real Madrid star unfair or is totally warranted?