Mesut Ozil linked with D.C. United, among other transfer destinations

Mesut Ozil, the Arsenal playmaker who hasn’t featured since March 2020, appears certain to move on from the club, with ample interest around the globe for the 32-year-old.

According to a report from Football.London on Tuesday, D.C. United is believed to be among the teams interested in the German international midfielder. Ozil is out of contract this summer, and according to Football.London’s report, United have offered a strong package that includes the expansion of Ozil’s coffee brand and merchandise line.

Ozil has been linked with moves to MLS for quite some time, with LA Galaxy and Inter Miami FC also mentioned as possible landing places. The five-time German Player of the Year has also been reportedly targeted by Juventus in Italy and Fenerbache in Turkey.

D.C. welcomed Wayne Rooney to the club in July 2018, another Premier League star. Rooney created some memorable moments for United before departing in January 2020 for Derby County in England. Ozil would have a similar star power as Rooney.

Ozil has scored 33 goals and added 54 assists in 184 Premier League matches. He’s won three FA Cups with Arsenal. Before joining the Gunners, he broke through with Schalke in Germany and won the German Cup with Werder Bremen. He then joined Real Madrid and won a World Cup with Germany in 2014.

But Ozil’s Arsenal career has stood at a standstill since he voiced his displeasure with how China treated the Uighurs, a largely Muslim minority group. China removed Ozil from video games Fifa and Pro Evolution Soccer. He hasn’t played for Arsenal this season, either.

In an interview with ESPN, Ozil’s agent Erkut Sogut said his player’s future could be decided within the next 10 days.

“We were not allowed to talk legally before Jan. 1 so now we are just starting to look at the options with the numbers and details,” Sogut told ESPN. “I can’t talk about the clubs directly because it would be unprofessional but generally, there is six months left on the contract and it is nothing unusual that we will talk to people about different opportunities and try to find the best option for Mesut.

“He might stay at Arsenal until the summer but he might go. Mesut’s priority is to stay but you never know in football, things can change very fast. For the moment, we are just checking all the options for January and the summer.

“If we want to leave in January, I need to talk to Arsenal. If we sign for the summer, we don’t need to. That’s the situation. In the next seven to ten days, it will be a little clearer as now the transfer window is open, things can move faster.”