Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has been in ‘advanced talks’ with Washington club D.C. United over a potential move to Major League Soccer this month, but reports in Turkey have since claimed that a late deal with Fenerbahce has been struck instead.
Ozil has been frozen out at Arsenal season and has not played for the club since March 2020. His enormously lucrative contract signed in 2018 is winding down and his time in north London will draw to a close before the end of January if a suitable deal is arranged.
It has been suggested that D.C. United have offered Ozil the chance to be the new face of the club, will give him his own merchandise line, are willing to advertise his ‘39 Steps Coffee’ brand in their stadium and will help him grow his personal ‘M10’ brand in North America.
There have also been suggestions that he has been offered to Juventus, while Genoa have been named as a club who have shown interest.
Yet just as a deal with D.C. United appeared to be close (it could yet still be) reports from Sabah and others in Turkey have suggested that Ozil has agreed a deal in principle with Fenerbahce over a three-and-a-half year contract until the summer of 2024.
It is said only the final details of the deal need to be ironed out. Ozil is not a free agent until the summer, but it has previously been suggested that Arsenal could release him sooner.
Whether simply a coincidence or not, Ozil did share a timely throwback image of himself in Istanbul on his Instagram account as the reports in Turkey were coming out.