Fenerbahce and Mesut Ozil have parted ways after the German's contract was terminated by mutual agreement.
The former Arsenal man moved to Turkey in January 2021 but his switch to Istanbul has been a disaster and he's spent the last few months out of the first-team picture. That was the same scenario he was faced with at the Emirates, with Mikel Arteta freezing out the playmaker.
Ozil maintained that he would not be quitting Fenerbahce after he was involved in a verbal altercation with manager Ismail Kartal and subsequently snubbed as a result. Now though, after a change of manager, the situation remains unchanged and NTV Spor report that his contract has been torn up.
A move to Fenerbahce was seen as a coup for the club and a chance for Ozil to showcase his quality once more. The World Cup winner himself is a fan of the Turkish giants - and was determined to be a success when he joined. He said: "I am a Fenerbahce fan. That is why I am very happy to be coming to Turkey with Fenerbahce. I'm very excited. God gave me the chance to wear this jersey as a Fenerbahce fan. God willing, I will carry it with honour and do everything I can for the team."
Ozil had made 26 appearances, scoring on nine occasions, before he was cast aside by then manager Kartal. Fenerbahce went on to finish in second, but have since changed their coach. However Jorge Jesus has no plans to bring Ozil back into the fold.
"He had his time, his space," Jesus said on his unveiling. "He has a beautiful history in Turkey, nobody can take it away from him. He is a well-known player around the world. But I will follow exactly what was the end of the Ozil era.
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"The most important thing here is not the coach Jorge Jesus, the most important thing here is not the player Ozil, the most important thing here is not any player. The most important thing here is Fenerbahce and it is from there that I build my ideas and the players who come to work with me."
Ozil is now in talks with Istanbul Başakşehir, which would present him and his family with a chance to stay put. The Turkish side have been able to establish themselves in recent years despite only being founded back in 1990. They claimed the league title in 2020 and have competed in the Champions League.
