Mesut Ozil has wasted no time in finding a new club and has signed with Turkish top-flight side Istanbul Basaksehir.
The former Arsenal playmaker found himself without a club after his dream move to Fenerbahce quickly descended into a nightmare. Ozil joined his boyhood club in January 2021 after Mikel Arteta froze him out of his playing squad.
The 33-year-old was allowed to depart from the Emirates prematurely, signing for Fener on a three-and-a-half year contract. But after a reasonably bright start which saw him score nine times in 26 appearances, he was ostracised after a falling out with then manager Ismail Kartal.
He was replaced by veteran tactician Jorge Jesus this summer, but the Portuguese swiftly made it clear that the World Cup winner had no future at the club. "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.
"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."
And after having his contract mutually terminated on Wednesday, Ozil will now join Basaksehir. Fener’s Istanbul neighbours were only founded in 1990, but have since grown into one of the superpowers of Turkish football, winning their maiden league title in 2020.
His move marks a rapid U-turn from Ozil and his representatives, having previously claimed there was no chance of an exit. In an exclusive interview with Mirror Football earlier this year, the German’s agent Dr Erkut Sogut said his client had no intention of leaving his beloved club and would instead stay and fight for his place.
"We all expect it. This is what we are hoping for and what we will see," said Dr Sogut. "[There's] no chance of any movement, he still has two years on his contract and he will stay there."
On the argument with his boss, he added: "There was a discussion between certain players and the coach, but I don't know the exact details. But it is something that happens all the time. It is not very unusual that sometimes coaches and players have different opinions."
Sogut has also suggested that Ozil intends to end his playing career in the country, having enjoyed stints across Europe during his storied career.
"I think he wants to retire his career in Turkey, he always wanted it,” he explained. “I can imagine he'll still do something at Fenerbahce or something in Turkey," said Dr Sogut. He is settled there with the family, he loves living there and is enjoying it as well.
"I can't see right now him going to another country from there. Before the move to Fenerbahce, it could have been done but not anymore I guess. But you never know in football."
