Mesut Ozil wanted assurances from Arsenal about the proposed wage cut, reveals agent Erkut Sogut
Ozil's agent comments on pay cut row
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Former Arsenal player Mesut Ozil's agent has admitted that the German playmaker refused to take a pay cut at the club during the pandemic as he wanted assurances from the club about securing the workplace and job retention. Ozil brought his stint at Arsenal to an end and joined Fenerbache in 2021.
Arsenal secured the signing of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for a reported fee of £42.5 million. The German midfielder had established his reputation as one of the best creators in the game during his stint in Spain and looked to replicate his world-class displays in England.
The 33-year-old was one of the London club's most consistent performers during his time at the Emirates Stadium as he scored 44 goals and registered 77 assists in 254 appearances across all competitions. Ozil was instrumental for Arsenal as they claimed three FA Cups during his time at the club.
Unfortunately, the German international's performances began to decline after he signed a lucrative contract extension. Ozil did not feature for Arsenal at all in the 2020-21 season before moving to Fenerbache in January 2021. The former Arsenal star also declined to take a 15 percent wage cut during the pandemic and his agent has now revealed the details on what transpired.
"With the salary cut, he asked me ‘Where is the money going?’. Mesut wanted assurances from the club that they wouldn’t fire anyone. That management would have a salary cut too. If that assurance was given and signed, he would have taken more of a cut. Thirty per cent. He wanted to know where the money was going. If it was to buy another player, he didn’t want to do it. If it was to secure the workplace, he wanted to do it," Sogut told Arsenal Fan TV.
