Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has hit out at the club, saying in a letter to fans on Twitter that "loyalty is hard to come by nowadays" after being left out of Mikel Arteta's 25-man Premier League squad.
The German World Cup winner, 32, has also been omitted from the Gunner's Europa League squad, which means that he effectively won't be able to play first team football until the end of the season, unless Arsenal are able to offload him during the winter transfer window in January, which might prove difficult given Ozil's hefty £350,000 per week wages.
Ozil joined Arsenal for a club record £42.4 million in 2013, but has not played since the Premier League season broke up due to the coronavirus pandemic on 7 March. Since joining from Real Madrid, Ozil has scored 44 goals in 254 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners.
In a message to Arsenal fans, Ozil said: "Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.
Former Arsenal and England striking legend Ian Wright said that football would never stop surprising him, adding that he was "gutted" for Ozil.
"The fact that whatever has gone on couldn't be resolved between the club and Mesut is sad", added Wright.
England football great Gary Lineker tweeted that no being able to play football would be soul destroying for Ozil.
Fans took to social media to voice their disapproval over Ozil's omission from the squad:
Others suggested the player might have tried harder during games, noting that he isn't a typical modern player, relying more on skilful football rather than pure athletic ability: