Mesut Ozil's agent on Arsenal "surprise", relationship with Mikel Arteta and retirement plan

Mesut Ozil left Arsenal under a cloud in January 2021, ending an eight-year spell in north London in which he won three FA Cups.

Mikel Arteta could find nowhere in his side for the World Cup winner, and banished him from both his Premier League and Europa League squads, effectively forcing Ozil's hand to leave.

Ozil joined the team he supported as a boy, Turkish giants Fenerbahce, and severed his ties with Arsenal six months early despite previously insisting he would see out the entirety of his Emirates contract. He also took a £290,000-a-week pay cut in the process.

A year on and Ozil is back in a similar predicament at Fenerbahce, where an argument with boss Ismail Kartal, and question marks over his fitness, have once again seen him frozen out of a squad.

Ozil's agent Dr Erkut Sogut, in an exclusive interview with Mirror Football, has reflected on the shock both he and his client felt upon learning Arteta couldn't find a place for the German in his team.

"I just ask for fair treatment like with any other player," said Dr Sogut. "But to not be in the squad at all, that was a couple of days before the window was closing and it was too late for us to react anyway.

"Maybe three days, four days before when I was told he might not be in the squad at all, he might not be listed. So that was a surprise. First for the Europa League and then for the Premier League as well, that was not expected by us at all.

"The coach didn't want him in the squad and the player has to accept that, what can you do?"

Ozil was contracted at Arsenal until the summer of 2021 and planned to see out his time in north London, despite the problems going on behind the scenes.

He'd hoped that Gunners boss Arteta may reconsider his stance after his