Mesut Ozil is in line for a shock career as a professional gamer should he fail to find a way back into the Fenerbahce first team.
The former Arsenal star -who saw his contract ripped up at the Emirates - has now fallen out of first-team contention with the Istanbul giants following a public falling out with former boss Ismail Kartal. As a result, he has not taken to the pitch in any capacity since a 2-1 victory against Konyaspor back in March.
It was hoped that he would find a route back into the club’s plans amid the appointment of new boss Jorge Jesus but the Portuguese has confirmed that Ozil has already ‘had his time’ and that he would not be relied on next term despite there still being two years left on his deal.
That leaves the question of what the former Arsenal man will do should he fail to find a way back into Jesus’ plans, but his agent has suggested it could lie away from the football pitch.
Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Dr. Erkut Sogat has confirmed that if he is forced to leave his current employers, he will turn his back on the professional game and instead turn to a career in gaming: “I think he will not play football in any other club any more. I can't see that – it will be Fenerbahce and that’s it.
“He will go more into esports, play himself and maybe become an esports athlete. He’s really good, to be honest, at Fortnite and I think one day I wouldn’t be surprised if he is competing. He owns a team – M10 Esports – and he has players. He has a gaming house in Germany. He has football, like Fifa, and Fortnite.”
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Ozil himself has already had his say on what his future could potentially hold. A transfer away from Fenerbahce seems unlikely considering the midfielder's own wishes of retiring with the club.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "Recently, I have had to make a statement regarding the allegations made about my career. I had completed my career goal by signing a 3.5-year contract with Fenerbahce, my childhood love, without even getting paid for the first 6 months.
"I repeat with emphasis; I will not end my career in a team other than Fenerbahce. For the duration of my contract, my only goal is to sweat our Cubuklu jersey. This decision is very clear and final.
"As per the requirements of professional life, if our management takes a decision about me, I will only respect this attitude. I will work hard and always keep myself ready. As I always say, the main thing is Fenerbahce. With my love and respect to the great Fenerbahce fans.
Ozil - a World Cup winner with Germain in 2014 - of course left Arsenal in the summer of 2020 to join Fenerbahce. He has gone on to make 36 appearances for the Turkish outfit in the time since, scoring eight goals.
