Arsenal are still paying 90% of Ozil’s wage according to report

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Arsenal are reportedly covering 90% of Mesut Ozil’s £350,000-a-week contract despite the German playmaker leaving the club in January for a move to Fenerbahce.

According to The Athletic, the Gunners are still paying the majority of Ozil’s mammoth contract until the end of the season, with the midfielder leaving Arsenal in the winter window on a free transfer, as reported by BBC Sport, after not being registered for the club’s Premier League squad at the start of the season as well as failing to play a single minute in both the UEFA Europa League and League Cup.

Ozil signed a long-term contract with the club in January 2018, as reported by BBC Sport, that would have kept the former Real Madrid star at the club until the summer of this year, however, the massive £350,000-a-week deal has been seen as a sticking point to the Gunners’ demise in the past few years, with the 32-year-old midfielder being a constant source of criticism from fans and pundits since penning that deal.

The playmaker signed for Arsenal on deadline day in 2013 for a then club-record fee of £42.4m as reported by BBC Sport, though despite arriving with plenty of hype and celebrations, Ozil’s time in north London was largely seen as underwhelming given how successful the World Cup winner was during his time at Real Madrid.

TBR View: The sooner Arsenal are gone from this financial burden the better

The departure of Ozil in January was seen as the beginning of something new for Arsenal, but even though the midfielder has left and is now settled in his new life in Turkey, his impact remains heavy on the club, and the summer can’t come soon enough for the Gunners.

With the same Athletic report claiming that the Gunners are set to award youngster Emile Smith Rowe with a new contract, Arsenal being rid of Ozil’s financial burden will be a weight lifted from the club’s shoulders, and will allow the north London side some wiggle room on both the wage bill and in the upcoming summer transfer window, where Mikel Arteta’s side are likely to bring in some new faces to improve a squad in need of quality.