Ozil: I would have joined Arsenal for free
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has claimed he would have joined the club for free if possible after a conversation with boss Arsene Wenger.
The Emirates Stadium outfit smashed their transfer record to sign the 24-year-old German from Real Madrid for a reported fee of £42.5million on Monday.
Ozil says he did not feel appreciated at Real Madrid anymore, and that his discussion with Wenger immediately made him want to join the club.
"In some way, that conversation flicked a switch in me and made me realise what I had lost at Madrid – transparency, trust, respect," Ozil told Die Welt.
"Arsene told me exactly how he saw me, how he wanted to use me, what he expected of me.
"I would have even joined Arsenal for free."
Ozil has signed a long-term contract at Arsenal and is expected to make his debut for the club at Sunderland on Saturday.
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