Mesut Ozil has completed his move to Turkish side Fenerbahce, bring to an end his seven-and-a-half-year stay at Arsenal.
The German arrives at Fenerbahce as a free agent after reaching an agreement with Arsenal to terminate his £350,000-a-week contract, which had six months left to run.
Ozil took to social media to say goodbye to the Gunners, writing: "7.5 years. Nearly 3,000 days days. It feels strange to be writing this message after such a long time in London. Since the moment I arrived, it felt like home.
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"Over 250 games, 44 goals and 71 assists later, it's time that Arsenal and I finally part ways.
"Whilst I may be no longer playing for the club, I will continue to support then in every game they play. I will be a Gunner for life."
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In a post on Arsenal's official website, he said: "I'd like to thank the club for this amazing journey. The support I've felt from the team and fans during my time here has been truly incredible and something I'll always be grateful for.
"Together we won trophies for the first time in years and created memories that will last a lifetime. The Arsenal fans will forever remain in my heart. I wish everyone at the club the best in their attempt to continue to bring Arsenal back to the top, where we belong."
The playmaker joined Arsenal in the summer of 2013 from Real Madrid and went on win three FA Cups.
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However, he fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta, and was left out of Arsenal's Premier League and Europa League squads at the start of the season. He last played for Arsenal in March 2020.
He visited Arsenal's London Colney training ground last Sunday to say his final farewells to his teammates before flying to Istanbul that evening to begin his medicals.
MLS side DC United were also linked with Ozil, but he had made no secret of his desire to play for Fenerbahce, telling his social media followers recently: "I grew up as a Fenerbahce fan as a kid in Germany.
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"Every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when they grow up in Germany. And mine was Fenerbahce. They are like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country."
The son of Turkish immigrants, Ozil, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, ultimately decided to forgo a portion of his remaining £7m at Arsenal in order to join Fenerbahce.
Ozil's contract - one of the final major decisions of Arsene Wenger's reign - was the largest in the club's history and a huge financial burden.
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Arteta said: "Mesut's achievements at Arsenal are undisputed. It was a privilege to play alongside him and, more recently, coach him.
"His creativity and vision led to many goals during his time in the Arsenal shirt. Mesut was at the heart of many great moments for this club over the years, including those three FA Cup final wins.
"These successes will always be part of our history. We thank Mesut and wish him all the best with Fenerbahce."
Arsenal's technical director Edu added: "We thank Mesut for his huge contribution to Arsenal. He has given the fans and everyone at the club many wonderful moments on the pitch since he joined us in 2013.
"We would like to thank Mesut and his team for their professionalism during our recent negotiations. I know everyone associated with Arsenal will join me in wishing Mesut and his family the best of health, success and happiness in the next chapter of his career."
Topics: fenerbahce, Mesut Ozil, Arsenal
