Mezut Ozil has revealed details on his former club, Arsenal’s decision to have the first team players take a 15 percent pay cut during the pandemic.
The former gunner player was criticized by fans, fellow players and in time his relationship with Arteta dramatically became frosty, and eventually leaving Emirates.
According to Ozil’s agent, Erkut Sogut, his client would have taken the pay cut if he knew where the money was going.
Also Read: Senegal, Ghana to Represent Africa in World Cup
“If that assurance was given and signed, he would have taken more of a cut. Thirty percent. 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.” he stated.
Ozil clarified that he didn't want any of the workers fired and expected the managerial department to take a pay cut too.
Arsenal had received backlash for laying off 55 of its staff, the playmaker decided to pay the wages of Jerry Quy, a long-term mascot of the gunners.
The fallout between Arteta and Mezut Ozil led to his exclusion from the Premier League which led to him joining Fenerbahce in January 2022.
His manager has insisted that despite the continuous accusations Ozil's heart has always been in the right place.
"From the first moment I worked with Mesut, whenever I asked for a charitable project, he never said no.
"So this boy has the mentality of sharing. We used our box at the Emirates for kids with cancer. Every home game. He started a relationship with these kids. He was always giving."Sogut remarked.