Mesut Ozil has finally completed his move to Fenerbahce on a free transfer from Arsenal – and penned an emotional farewell message.
The outcast playmaker, 32, sealed his return to homeland Turkey on Sunday and insisted the club’s supporters would ‘forever remain’ in his heart.
Ozil said goodbye to his former team-mates at the Emirates last week and has now brought an end to his seven-and-a-half-year stint in the Premier League.
In a statement released on Arsenal’s website, Ozil said: ‘I’d like to thank the club for this amazing journey over the past seven and a half years.
‘The support I have felt from the team and fans during my time here has been truly incredible and something I will 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’d like to thank Edu Gaspar for helping bring about a professional and dignified solution in the past few days, and I wish everyone at the club the best in their attempt to continue to bring Arsenal back to the top, where we belong.’
The former Real Madrid superstar has failed to feature for Arsenal since last March – having been left out of Mikel Arteta’s Premier League and Europa League squads.
Arsenal boss Arteta has lauded Ozil, however, and admitted it was a ‘privilege’ to have coached and played alongside him.
‘Mesut’s achievements at Arsenal are undisputed. His creativity and vision led to many goals during his time in the Arsenal shirt,’ he said.
‘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.’
Ozil was at the heart of Arsenal’s FA Cup successes at Wembley – and scored 44 goals in 254 appearances across all competitions for the club.
