Bellerin: We knew Ozil would stay

"Everyone" at Arsenal always knew Mesut Ozil was going to commit his future to the club because of the German's passion for the 'Gunners' and London, team-mate Hector Bellerin insists.

Reports began to circulate at the end of January that Ozil, who was in the final six months of his previous deal, had agreed a renewal to keep him at the Emirates until 2021.

Arsenal made the agreement official on February 1, ending months of speculation surrounding Ozil's association with the club and providing a further lift to the fanbase following the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.

Ozil's future had been the subject of rumours for over a year, but Bellerin says he was always confident the former Real Madrid playmaker was set to stay.

The Spanish defender told the club's official website: "Everyone in the training ground, everyone in the team knew he was going to stay."

"He is a guy that loves London, loves Arsenal and he always gets really angry when things don't go well, so you know how much it means for him to win or lose for this club. So I think everyone in the club, the dressing room, was sure".

"It is as exciting as a new signing. To have a player with Mesut's qualities and all he brings to the team to sign for a few more years, it is really exciting for Arsenal and for the fans."

The German midfielder has made 179 appearances for the 'Gunners', scoring 36 goals, since moving from Real Madrid in 2013 and was pivotal in the club's 5-1 thrashing of Everton on Sunday.

3 February 2018