Arsenal signed £42m Real Madrid ace who fell out with Mikel Arteta on transfer deadline day

Arsenal broke their transfer record when they purchased Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day 12 years ago. But after four FA Cup victories, the German midfielder left north London on bitter terms.

In 2013, the Gunners, then managed by the iconic Arsene Wenger, issued a statement of intent when they secured the services of Ozil, who had just won La Liga with Los Blancos. The 24-year-old set Arsenal back £42.4m, which shattered their transfer record by £27.4m.

Fast-forward eight successful years, and Ozil was continually being linked with a move away from the Emirates. Mikel Arteta's arrival reduced his gametime further, and his eventual exit in 2021 would not be a harmonious one.

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After featuring in the 2019 Europa League final defeat, on the back of one of his worst campaigns in an Arsenal shirt under Unai Emery, Ozil began the following Premier League campaign in the starting XI, but was quickly replaced, and only started 18 league games throughout the term. He had only signed a blockbuster £350,000 per week deal in 2018.

This led to head coach Arteta omitting Ozil from both the club's Premier League and Europa League squads ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, after the two reportedly clashed over the German's refusal to take a wage cut during the coronavirus pandemic, amid 55 redundancies at the club.

With his deal expiring in 2021, and his days with Arsenal numbered, the German wrote on social media: "Loyalty is hard to come by nowadays. I'm really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being.

"Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.

"I've always tried to remain positive from week to week that there's maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That's why I kept silent so far."

That October, Arteta admitted he had 'failed' Ozil in response, saying: "What I can say from my side is that it is just a football decision. My level of communication with him has been really high and we know what to expect with each other. Obviously a player of that dimension, with the career he has had, everything that happens around him has a big impact.

"It has been the case for the last eight years, it is nothing new that is just happening now. A lot of things have happened over these eight years. My job is to get the best out of every player, to contribute to the team performance.

"Here I feel at the moment, today, that I have failed. I want the best possible Mesut for the team. And in some moments I was able to get close to that, and at the moment I have not been able to do it because I have to make the decision to leave him out of the squad."

Ozil's agent, Dr Erkut Sogut, also joined in with this spat, bashing Arteta and saying: "Arsenal fans deserve an honest explanation, not [Arteta] saying, 'I failed Ozil.'

"You didn't fail Ozil. You failed to be fair, honest and transparent and treat someone with respect who has a contract and was loyal all the time."

Alas, despite arriving on deadline day with such promise and becoming one of the Gunners' star names over a trophy-laden tenure, Ozil left a bitter taste in the mouth of many with his exit in January 2021.

He joined Fenerbahce after his contract was terminated six months early. While he penned a three-year deal with the Turkish side, he only spent one season there. After falling out with a head coach, he left for Istanbul Basaksehir before retiring in March 2023.

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