According to the Sun via German publication Bild, Adidas have decided against renewing Arsenal star Mesut Ozil’s sponsorship deal, the agreement will expire at the end of the season.
Ozil’s current deal with the sporting giants, who he’s been with since 2013, is worth a massive £22m, the report adds that concerns over the ace’s public image have led to the decision.
The Sun reiterate the playmaker’s fallout with the German FA back in 2018, Ozil accused them of racism after the treatment towards him following a meeting with Turkey president Recep Erdogan.
This comes not long after the 31-year-old faced massive backlash after rejecting Arsenal’s proposal for players to take a 12.5% pay cut, the star is the club’s highest earner on £350,000-a-week.
Public image doesn’t appear to be the sole focus though as Bild suggest that Adidas may have done this in an effort to ease the pressure on themselves financially.
Even if we were to discount the apparent public image reasoning, Ozil’s unflattering performances on the pitch since signing his new deal in January 2018 should undoubtedly be another factor in the ace’s big-money deal not being renewed.
Ozil was inconsistent as soon as he put pen to paper on that deal, cast aside like a misfit by Unai Emery and whilst winning a key role back under Mikel Arteta – the ace’s performances have been average.
Ozil has scored just once this season and chipped in with three assists in 23 appearances across all competitions.