Turkish club proposes January exit for Arsenal man after talks in London

Fenerbahce have offered Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil a loan deal to leave North London for Turkey in January, according to a report.

The 31-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from the Gunners earlier in the season, having played just 142 minutes of first-team football by the middle of October.

However, that record slightly improved towards the end of Unai Emery’s reign at the Emirates and with Freddie Ljungberg currently in charge, the former Germany international having now made 11 appearances in all competitions.

Reports linking the midfielder with a departure continue to surface, with Turkish outlet Fotomac claiming that Fenerbahce have proposed to take Ozil on loan in January.

The source claims that it would be an 18-month agreement, which would end at the conclusion of the 2020/21 season, when Ozil’s current Arsenal deal is set to expire.

It is also claimed that Fenerbahce’s sporting director Damien Comolli was in London last week to discuss the deal, which is now said to be “very close” to being completed.

Ozil has been the centre of controversy in recent days after initially being condemned by some for his comments on China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims.

More recently, the midfielder has been removed from China’s version of the Pro Evolution Soccer video game.

In other Arsenal news, the club are reportedly inching closer to bringing Mikel Arteta to the club to replace Ljungberg in the dugout.

Arteta, currently Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City, is said to be deep in discussions with the Gunners wanting the 38-year-old in charge for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Everton.

However, Sky Sports News has claimed that the compensation fee demanded for Arteta’s services by Manchester City is currently holding an agreement back.

It is said that City are holding out for a £2m payout from Arsenal and are not willing to budge.