Mesut Ozil has named some surprising picks in his best XI for Arsenal players since joining the club in 2013.
The World Cup-winning midfielder was notoriously left out of the Gunners’ Premier League squad at the start of the season and has become little more than an expensive Twitter cheerleader for the club in recent months so that speculation continues around its future.
The 32-year-old contract at Emirates Stadium doesn’t expire until 2021, while his high salary – typically reported at around £ 350,000 a week – has made him a tough player to get off the books.
The Turkey and USA sides have been heavily linked with an Ozil move now that the transfer window has reopened, although Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has not ruled out reinstating the midfielder offensive in his team.
As his off-court clash continues, Ozil has participated in a Twitter Monday night question-and-answer session, answering questions from fans.
Ospina – Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Kolasinac – Cazorla, Ramsey – Serge Gnabry, Özil, Alexis Sanchez – Aubameyang #YaGunnersYa? https://t.co/R9y5nP2d75
– Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) January 11, 2021
Among them, he was asked for the best Arsenal XI “back when you played for the club”.
Ozil named a starting lineup consisting of: David Ospina, Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Sead Kolasinac, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Serge Gnabry, Alexis Sanchez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and himself.
Perhaps telling, only one of the 11 – without himself – is currently at Arsenal in January 2021; Aubameyang.
Many comments questioned the decision to pick Kolasinac who joined Schalke 04 on loan earlier this month, though others pointed to the Bosnian’s heroic role in fighting Ozil’s armed attackers in 2019. .
To be fair, Kolasinac fought knife-wielding to protect him and his pregnant wife, so don’t blame him
– Kyle Grindell (@kyle_grindell) January 11, 2021
Ozil, however, ruled out joining Kolasinac in Schalke later, adding in response to another question: “I don’t want to steal @ seadk6 the show.
“No, to be honest, I will always have sympathy for and wish them the best from the bottom of my heart. But that’s not really an option for me at the moment… ”
Additionally, in Q&A, Ozil confirmed his favorite Turkish team as Fenerbahce: “I grew up as a Fenerbahce fan as a kid in Germany – every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when she grew up in Germany. And mine was Fenerbahce.
I grew up as @Fenerbahce fan as a child in Germany – every German-Turkish person supports a Turkish team when they grow up in Germany. And mine was Fenerbahce. Fenerbahce is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country ?? https://t.co/Y3hEba79IO
– Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) January 11, 2021
“Fenerbahce is like Real Madrid in Spain. The biggest club in the country. ”
The comment is sure to stoke the flames of transfer gossip, with the Fener boss among clubs being linked with a move for Ozil.
90 mins previously reported that Ozil had made a pre-contract agreement with Fenerbahce. However, rather than wait until June to join his teammates, he could instead join this month, with the Gunners agreeing to pay his salary while he spends the remainder of the season on loan at Istanbul.
