Fenerbahce insists Ozil signing not a possibility

Mesut Ozil had been linked with a loan move to Fenerbahce, but the Turkish side insist the Arsenal playmaker is too expensive for them.

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil had been linked with a move to Fenerbahce.

Fenerbahce has distanced itself from reports linking the club with Arsenal star Mesut Ozil, adamant it cannot afford the playmaker.

Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013, and although he has been a key player for much of that time, he has also polarised opinion among the club's supporters.

After an underwhelming season under Unai Emery last term, media speculation had suggested Arsenal is willing to offload Ozil in order to lighten its wage bill, but Fenerbahce insists rumours of a loan move are wide off the mark.

A Fenerbahce statement read: "Mesut Ozil, with his career and standing, successfully represents our country abroad. He is an important value known with the identity of Fenerbahce.

"However, Fenerbahce does not have a proposal for Mesut Ozil. Under the current economic conditions, such a step is not possible for both parties.

"Our president, Ali Koc, made statements on the subject in the WinWin program held on June 20 and emphasised that this could not be realised in the short term."

Ozil signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract in February last year, as the Gunners managed to prevent him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

That was seen as a major coup, particularly given the departure of Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United in January 2018, but Ozil's form has not recovered as expected.

Following Emery's arrival, Ozil failed to consistently impress and he was left out of the team on numerous occasions, making only 20 Premier League starts in 2018-19.