Mesut Ozil admits Arsene Wenger convinced him to join Arsenal
Mesut Ozil has revealed a telephone call from Arsene Wenger convinced him to leave Real Madrid for Arsenal.
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo
Last Updated: 09/09/13 5:34pm
Arsenal smashed their transfer record to sign attacking midfielder Ozil on transfer deadline day last week in a £42.5million deal.
Ozil had initially pledged to stay at Real this summer after being linked with a move away from the Bernabeu in the wake of Gareth Bale's arrival.
However, Wenger was able to convince Ozil to swap Real for the Emirates Stadium after winning him over with his plans for the 24-year-old.
"Somehow this telephone call just flicked a switch in me," Ozil told Die Welt. "I thought: 'What he is telling me is what I have missed at Real: transparency, trust, respect.'
"He told me exactly how he sees me [as a player], how he wants to use me, what he expects from me and what he hopes I will contribute."
Ozil also played down the expectation that might be placed upon him after Arsenal broke the bank to land the Germany international.
"The transfer fee has nothing to do with me. I would have joined Arsenal on a free," added Ozil.
One man who thinks Ozil will prove to be value for money is his Arsenal and Germany team-mate Per Mertesacker.
Mertesacker is confident Ozil will be a massive success in north London and that he will add a lot to the team.
"I think he is worth what we paid for him," Mertesacker told the Daily Mail.
"He is a phenomenal player and I think he has not reached his best at the moment.
"I think his contribution to this club will be massive."