Serie A champions Juventus have rejected Arsenal’s offer to buy German playmaker Mesut Ozil in the January window.
Ozil joined Arsenal in 2013 as the club’s record signing. Still, after seven seasons as one of the squad’s regular starters, he saw his playing time completely taken away by manager Mikel Arteta. Ozil last played for Arsenal in March.
To bolster Ozil’s position at the club, the 32-year-old attacking midfielder was sent off from Arsenal’s Premier League and Europe League sides early in the season. Arteta has rejected the idea of terminating Ozil’s contract – which expires in June 2021 – but is unsure whether his number ten will return to the first team in January.
These uncertainties have not been ruled out by Juventus who have turned down the possibility of signing Ozil in the current transfer window according to CBS Sports. The reigning Italian champions have recently been linked with a move to Ozil after it was rumored that representatives for the former Germany international contacted Juventus.
However, Fabrizio Romano reports that Andrea Pirlo’s side were happy to dismiss Ozil’s appeal due to the confidence they have in their own playmaker Dejan Kulusevski – a 20-year-old Swedish international who was purchased for £ 31.5million 12 months ago.
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– 90min (at 90min_Football) September 9, 2020
Turkey’s Fenerbahce side has also been touted as a likely destination for Ozil, with the Istanbul-based team reportedly “90% confident” of finalizing a deal for their man. If no move for the ex-Real Madrid player occurs, the paid Arsenal midfielder could become a source of division within the squad if he is welcomed back into the fold.
Arteta has stressed that starts are the priority for Arsenal and their bloated squad in the current window. Sead Kolasinac has already left for Schalke and William Saliba has also embarked on a loan in search of more first-team minutes.
