The summer transfer window closed on September 2 and with multiple clubs hoping to finalize deals before the signing period officially came to an end, the Arsenal Gunners and manager Arsene Wenger remained - as expected - very active. Failing to reel in some of the top players in the sport throughout the window including Liverpool star Luis Suarez and former Real Madrid favorite Gonzalo Higuain, Wenger and company hoped to use a substantial amount of spending money in order to improve upon last season's mediocre fourth place finish in the Barclays Premier League.
According to multiple sources, the Gunners and former Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil agreed to a club-record transfer of £42.5 million, bringing the midfielder over to the Emirates while satisfying his new club's thirst for a major signing. Departing Real Madrid after 3 successful seasons where he notched 19 goals in 104 La Liga contests, the 24-year-old will surely bolster the midfield unit of the Gunners while continuing to grow into a serious talent on both ends of the pitch.
"We are extremely pleased to have signed Mesut Ozil," Arsene Wenger said to ESPN FC after the signing was completed. "He is a great player, with proven quality at both club and international level. We have watched and admired him for some time as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player. I have said throughout the summer that we have been working hard to bring in top quality players to this football club. This has involved many people across the club and I have always had the full support of the club in making decisions on the football side."
Clearly excited about the latest challenge of joining the Premier League club, Ozil understands this move will truly help further his development as one of the top midfielders in the game but knows he'll miss playing for Real Madrid, something he said to fans at the Bernabeu through his Facebook page once the transfer went through.
I am thrilled to be joining a club of the stature of Arsenal and am looking forward to playing in the Premier League. It will be great for my own personal development as a player and I am particularly looking forward to working with Arsene Wenger.
From our negotiations it is clear the club has huge ambition and I look forward to being part of an exciting future.
Dear fans of Real Madrid, thank you very much for three wonderful years with all of you. my time at Real Madrid was unique and special for me. Sometimes things develop differently, than i would have expected them to a few days ago.
Although I'm leaving Real Madrid I wish you and the team the very best for the future. Now I'm looking forward to my new club: THE GUNNERS!
Since claiming the FA Cup in 2005, the Gunners have failed to win a single championship, something the club hopes to change immediately. With the recent signing of Mesut Ozil igniting the Arsenal fan base once again, maybe the 2013-2014 campaign will prove to be one of the finest for Arsene Wenger and company.
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