Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hailed the talent of Mesut Ozil after he secured a move away from the club.

Ozil has been sidelined by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta practically since his arrival midway through last season.

He was unable to reach a financial agreement with the club for a departure, until now. Ozil is set to sign for Fenerbahce in Turkey.

“Well first of all I would say you have the pleasure to announce a transfer like that in a period where you will not have many transfers,” he told BeIN SPORTS Turkey.

“And he will certainly be the biggest transfer of the January transfer window, because the world of football is a bit quiet.

“But overall it’s fantastic news for Fenerbahce, who are in a strong position in the league, and I think he can be the piece of the puzzle that will make them even more of a threat to win the Turkish league.”

Wenger continued: “I had never had a conversation [with him] about Fenerbahce before because I wanted to keep Mesut Ozil at Arsenal!

“But I could always feel a strong Turkish link because I met the family, I met his agent, I met his father when I signed him.

“You could see that there is a strong attachment to Turkey and a big interest in the Turkish league.”