Mesut Ozil Joins Venture Capital Firm as 'Strategic Adviser' Amid Arsenal Freeze-Out

Mesut Ozil has joined San Francisco-based finance firm Class 5 Global as a strategic adviser, as the Arsenal midfielder continues to plan for life beyond football.

The 32-year-old has been frozen out of the picture entirely under Mikel Arteta, having failed to appear in a squad in any competition this season, though that hasn't stopped him sending out a series of supportive tweets from the comfort of his living room.

Having already founded the Unity Performance Lab along with former Gunners midfielder Mathieu Flamini, and moved in on the eSports market, the former Germany midfielder has been putting his spare time to good use. And, as reported by Bloomberg, he has now moved onto his latest project, signing onto venture capital firm Class 5.

“I am excited to shape and work on my post-football career while I am still actively playing football,” Ozil is quoted as saying.

'Still actively playing football' is perhaps exaggerating, given that he hasn't actually played a game of football since March.

"What I can tell you is that I tried my best, I tried to give him as many opportunities as I could," said manager Mikel Arteta when quizzed about his repeated absence on Saturday. "And that from my own side, I've been patient and given him opportunities and been fair.

"He's a player that belongs to a football club, he's been a really important player in the last few seasons. I have to respect that.

"I'm here to make decisions, the best decisions for the team and for the club and this is what I try to do and then I have to explain them because people need the reasons and the right answers and I just give mine, whether they believe me or agree with me or not, there's nothing I can do.

"But I have to put my decisions, with my heart and with my brain to make the right decisions that I believe are good."