MESUT OZIL has arrived in Turkey ahead of his anticipated move to Fenerbahce, finally ending his Arsenal saga.
The German midfielder, 32, has been frozen out under Mikel Arteta for the best part of a year, despite collecting £350,000 a week.
Arsenal’s 2014 FA Cup winners Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Mesut Ozil celebrates with his Gunners team-mates at WembleyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And Ozil has agreed to give up a chunk of his remaining salary in order to leave the club on good terms this month.
His imminent departure means he is the last of the 2014 FA Cup winners to leave the Emirates.
Ozil bid farewell to his Gunners team-mates and staff over the weekend and it was current boss Arteta who captained the North Londoners to glory at Wembley nearly seven years ago.
SunSport takes a look at what happened to all of Ozil’s fellow Cup winners after they mounted a comeback to beat Hull City 3-2 after extra time.
Lukasz Fabianski
Polish shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski left Arsenal as his contract expired in the summer after the FA Cup win.
He joined Swansea where he spent four years before signing for West Ham for £7million in 2018.
The 35-year-old is now David Moyes’ No1 at the London Stadium and has kept six clean sheets in 17 Premier League appearances so far this season.
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Bacary Sagna
Another to leave the summer after winning the Cup, Bacary Sagna made 284 appearances for the Gunners in a seven-year spell.
He joined Manchester City on a free and told Goal last year: “I didn’t knock at the club’s door to change contract, I respected my contract, but the way I left was a bit dirty.
“I didn’t like it, I didn’t feel comfortable anymore. Something broke inside my head.”
Sagna has been without a club since leaving the recently rebranded Club de Foot Montreal 12 months ago.
Per Mertesacker
German giant Per Mertesacker finished his playing career at Arsenal in 2018 before being named head of the club’s academy.
He is coming up to three years in the role and previously filled in as an interim assistant coach to Freddie Ljunberg after Unai Emery was sacked in November 2019.
Laurent Koscielny
Former skipper Laurent Koscielny angered Gooners by ripping off the Arsenal jersey in his unveiling at Bordeaux in 2019.
It took him a year for him to apologise to Arsenal fans in 2020 and the 35-year-old is still at the French club and has made 13 Ligue 1 appearances so far this term.
Arsenal’s players parade the 2014 FA Cup trophyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Kieran Gibbs
England international left-back Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal after a decade in North London in 2017.
He signed a four-year deal at West Brom with a transfer fee in the region of £7m and still turns out for Sam Allardyce’s Baggies now aged 31.
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta captained the victorious Gunners from central midfield at Wembley nearly seven years ago.
He retired in 2016 and then spent three years as Pep Guardiola’s No2 at Manchester City before returning to the Emirates as manager in December 2019.
Aaron Ramsey
Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey made 371 appearances for Arsenal before leaving for Juventus on a free in 2019.
Ramsey earns a cool £400,000 a week in Serie A and has begun to find his feet under Andrea Pirlo in a new false nine role.
Santi Cazorla
Spaniard Santi Cazorla left Arsenal in 2018 after a horrific Achilles tendon injury in 2016 looked like it could have ended his career.
Cazorla returned to Villarreal after eight operations and a skin grant and enjoyed something of a renaissance before signing for Qatari side Al Sadd in 2020, where he still plays.
Mesut Ozil
Ozil is the last of Arsenal’s 2014 FA Cup winners to move onCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Mesut Ozil hasn’t played for Arsenal since the 1-0 win over West Ham in March 2020 having been axed by Arteta – who left him out of both the Premier and Europa League 25-man squad.
In a Twitter Q&A earlier this week, Ozil – who made 254 Arsenal appearances – admitted his love for new side Fenerbahce and even compared them to Real Madrid.
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski owns SIX Kebab joints in GermanyCredit: Getty – Contributor
German forward Lukas Podolski joined Galatasaray from Arsenal in 2015, before moving to Japanese side Vissel Kobe two years later.
The Polish-born star bagged 31 goals in 82 appearances for the Gunners and 12 months ago returned to Turkey with Antalyaspor.
Off the pitch, the 35-year-old is quite the businessman after opening SIX Kebab shops in Germany – with hungry crowds flocking to try his meaty offerings.
He also owns a boozer, an ice cream parlour and a clothes shop as Podolski diversifies his income with a view to life post-football.
The 35-year-old Kebab king is working on his business interests Credit: EPA
Olivier Giroud
Olivier Giroud crossed London to join Chelsea from Arsenal in January 2018 and went on to win the World Cup with France that summer.
The 34-year-old haunted his old side with a goal and an assist in the 4-1 defeat in the 2019 Europa League final.
He is still part of Frank Lampard’s Blues side although a move when his contract expires in the summer is being widely talked about.
The Gunners celebrate overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Hull and lift the FA CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty
SUBS
Jack Wilshere
English midfielder Jack Wilshere left Arsenal for West Ham in 2018.
But he quit the Hammers in the summer after his £100,000-a-week contract was ripped up and is now set to sign a six-month deal at Bournemouth.
Tomas Rosicky
Legendary Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky left Arsenal to return to boyhood side Sparta Prague in 2016.
He retired a year later and is now sporting director at the club.
Yaya Sanogo
Talented striker Yaya Sanogo left the Gunners for Toulouse in 2017.
But he was released by the French side in the summer after netting just 12 goals in three years and is currently without a club.
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Mesut Ozil makes trip to rainy Emirates to say ‘farewell’ after Arsenal ‘agree’ to terminate contract
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
