Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil is in talks with Istanbul based football club Fenerbahce, over a three and a half year deal, Turkish media reported on Wednesday, according to AFP. These reports come after reports on Tuesday suggested links between Ozil and MLS side DC United.

“Ozil is expected to sign a three and a half year deal with the 19-time Turkish champions,” the privately-owned DHA news agency reported.

The rumours come in as the 2014 World Cup winner had tweeted a photograph of himself in Istanbul with the words: “This city … #throwback #Istanbul.”

Sports daily Fanatik reported that Fenerbahce chairman Ali Koc and team director Emre Belozoglu flew to London to persuade the player, who is of Turkish origin, to make the move.

A Fenerbahce spokesman did not immediately respond to AFP’s query. But he will apparently be earning far less at Fenerbahce as DHA and Fanatik said the proposed deal was worth five million euros ($6.1 million) a year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Ozil’s best man at his 2019 wedding in Turkey.Fenerbahce, one of Istanbul’s three big clubs, are currently fifth in the Super Lig.

It was only last week that Mikel Arteta had hinted towards some major transfers away from the club, with Mesut Ozil’s name heading the list.

“There are some players that are going to go on loan and going to leave and that is the priority at the moment. We cannot sustain the numbers that we have in certain positions and we are looking to do that, and then we will see if we have the right opportunity in the positions where we need some more help,” Arteta said ahead of Saturday’s trip to West Brom.

A seven-year journey including a record salary of £42.4 million when Ozil arrived from Real Madrid, then the 24-year-old making an assist in his 11th minute in EPL and then acing his first goal the very next month. Mesut Ozil played a major role in the Gunners’ nine-year wait for a trophy by winning the 2014 FA Cup, beating Hull City in the final at Wembley. Then came the two FA cups in 2015 and 2017. The playmaker assisted more than anyone in the club’s history- 77 in 254 games.

The former Real Madrid midfielder expressed his frustration over his treatment at Arsenal and has had a turbulent time at the north London club. He stirred controversy in 2019 when he criticised China’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim population in Xinjiang in a social media post, with Arsenal distancing themselves from his comments.

However, not being included in Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad for 2020-21 season seemed to be the last push Ozil needed to fly away from the Emirates Stadium.