A look at Mesut Ozil’s downward spiral since 2018

Mesut Ozil was once among the top attacking midfielders in football, with his vision, passing and shooting ability earning him the highest of praise. However, he is far removed from his former glory now, with negative press about his physical ability more common now. 

He arrived at Arsenal for a club record fee worth £42.5million and was quite influential for four years. But, following Germany’s exit from the 2018 World Cup, the player announced his retirement from the national team and shortly after, Arsene Wenger left the club. 

Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse when it comes to the career of the former Germany international. 

Mesut Ozil frozen out of Fenerbahce squad 

Things were difficult for Ozil under Unai Emery, with the manager still willing to give the player a chance. But, Mikel Arteta made the decision to exclude him from Arsenal’s Premier League and Europa League squad altogether, freezing him out of the squad. 

His performances on the pitch were the main point of criticism, with disciplinary issues also making things worse. 

He was among the highest-paid players at Arsenal, with a £350,000 a week contract to his name. And after months of sitting on the bench, Mesut Ozil joined Fenerbahce. But now, after a falling out with Ismail Kartal, he finds himself in a tough situation once more. Kartal deemed the player physically incompetent, and has exiled him from the squad indefinitely.