Mesut Ozil rejected mammoth £1m a week contract offer to remain in Premier League

 

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil

ARSENAL playmaker Mesut Ozil rejected ‘crazy offers’ worth £1million a week to remain at the Premier League side, according to his agent.

Ozil, 30, committed his future to the Gunners with a reported £300,000 a week at the start of the new season after several months of uncertainty.

It was claimed the arrival of Unai Emery and the support the club showed him during his controversial international retirement swayed his decision to remain in England.

And his agent, Dr Erkut Sogut has now revealed money was never the driving force behind his long protracted contract negotiations, despite becoming the highest ever earner in the club’s history.

“We had some really big offers from Asia. There were some crazy offers,” he told Standard Sport. “But, for Mesut, money was by no means the biggest factor.

“Money is definitely one important thing to consider, but people must remember that footballing ability is just one aspect of a contract negotiation.

“The commercial impact of a footballer is crucial nowadays. Mesut has the biggest social media following of any player in the Premier League and I just read that his shirt numbers [sales] were the largest at the club. At the end of the day, this is all information that has to be taken into consideration.

“So, the commercial side is very big with a player like Mesut, who has played in different countries and was the number 10 of the Germany team, where he won the World Cup. His market is worldwide. The club makes money out of these players as well.”

The 2014 FIFA World Cup-winner who joined the club from Real Madrid in 2013 is said to be keen to end his career at the Emirates Stadium, which Sogut claims swayed his decision from the vast resources of the Far-East.

“It came down to what was in his heart,” he said. “We were free to sign with other clubs and, in the end, Mesut loves the club.

“I put everything to him and he just said, ‘This is my home, I want to be here’.” – kickoff.com