By Fatih Demireli - Mesut Ozil and Fenerbahce are in talks to terminate the playmaker's contract, GOAL and SPOX can confirm. Ozil is contracted to the Turkish side until 2024 but is set to be free to negotiate with other clubs.
The Germany international joined the Super Lig team in January 2021 but has not lived up to expectation and was subsequently suspended by coach Ismail Kartal.
Ozil will leave the club after just 36 appearances across a season and a half, having scored eight goals.
What next for Ozil?
Ozil's next move has not been decided as of yet as talks over a mutual separation with Fenerbahce are still ongoing.
However, it has been reported that he could stay in Turkey, with Basaksehir touted as a possible destination.
Next Match
The current Basaksehir coach, Emre Belozoglu, was sporting director at Fenerbahce when Ozil was signed by the Istanbul club in 2021.
A move to MLS has also been listed as a possibility for the 33-year-old, as LAFC were said to be interested in signing him earlier this year.
No way back for Ozil at Fenerbahce
Ozil made the move to his dream club in 2021 from Arsenal, accepting a significant pay cut in the process.
But things turned sour last season, starting with Ozil being left visibly outraged when he was substituted in a Europa League match against Royal Antwerp in October.
Ozil was then dropped from the squad altogether earlier this year and suspended by coach Kartal.
Despite the fallout, Ozil insisted he would stay at Fenerbahce until the end of his career and his hopes of getting back into the team were boosted when Jorge Jesus replaced Kartal at the helm.
However, the Portuguese coach declared that the attacking midfielder would not be part of the squad.
"He had his time, his space," Jesus said at a press conference.
"He has a beautiful history in Turkey, nobody can take it away from him.
"He is a well-known player around the world. But I will follow exactly what was the end of the Ozil era."