MX23RW : Thursday, April 3 17:35:43| >> :60:13:13:

Mesut Ozil: 'I phoned Arsene Wenger asking for Arsenal move'

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil reveals that he personally called Arsene Wenger in a bid to force through his move to the club from Real Madrid in 2013.

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has revealed that he personally called Arsene Wenger to help push through his move to the club from Real Madrid in 2013.

The 28-year-old arrived at the Emirates Stadium on deadline day for a club-record £42.5m fee following a three-year spell at Madrid during which time he established himself as one of the most highly-rated playmakers in world football.

Once he opted to leave the Bernabeu, though, Ozil revealed that his first thought was to contact Wenger in the hope that he would bring him to Arsenal.

"I called a number that I'd saved in my phone back in 2010. 'Mr Wenger,' I said, 'I promised that you'd be the first person I'd contact if I were ever looking for another club. Now I am'," he wrote in his book Gunning for Greatness.

"Arsene Wenger told me that he had been keeping an eye on me the whole time and that he liked how I'd developed. And all of a sudden I had that positive feeling again, the one I'd had during our telephone conversation back in 2010.

"I sensed that this man, who I'd never met personally, had a very high opinion of me and trusted me. Exactly what I needed at this difficult time. Jose Mourinho was astonished. 'You didn't say anything to me. I thought you wanted to finish your career at Real Madrid,' he texted me."

Ozil has gone on to make 151 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 30 goals and setting up a further 54.

ID:296160: cacheID:296160:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2485:
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Arsene Wenger reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City on April 2, 2017
Read Next:
Wenger: 'Speculation could be affecting form'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool30227170274373
2Arsenal301710355253061
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest30176750351557
4Manchester CityMan City30156957401751
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle29155949391050
6Chelsea29147853371649
7Aston Villa3013984445-148
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton30121174845347
9Fulham3012994440445
10Bournemouth301281049381144
11Brentford30125135147441
12Crystal Palace29101093734340
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd30107133741-437
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs291041555431234
15Everton30713103237-534
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham3097143350-1734
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves3085174158-1729
18Ipswich TownIpswich3048183063-3320
19Leicester CityLeicester3045212567-4217
20Southampton3024242271-4910


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!