Mesut Ozil revealed he has told Arsenal about his desire to wear the No. 10 shirt following midfielder Jack Wilshere's move to Bournemouth. The England international went on loan to The Cherries after snubbing offers from Serie A and has settled for No. 32 shirt. The former Real Madrid playmaker, who currently dons 11, now wants to make the most of his teammate's move.
The 27-year-old, who is on the verge of signing a new contract with the Gunners, said the number meant a lot to him.
"For me, the number means a lot. It has become free and I will definitely have it. I have previously given those in charge a signal. The number is right for me and my position as playmaker," Ozil told Die Express, as quoted by ESPN.
"Football legends such as Zinédine Zidane, Diego Maradona or Pele have this number carried on the back," he added.
Ozil realised his dream of wearing the No. 10 in Germany colours during his team's 2-0 friendly win against Finland on 1 September in Monchengladbach, which was also World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger's international swansong. He revealed he gave away his favourite number to Germany teammate Lukas Podolski and now had access to the shirt after his former Arsenal teammate retired from international football in 2016 August.
"I did a few years ago have this number, but Lukas Podolski wanted it. He had more matches than I did. Now I have access," Ozil said.
The German midfielder, while wishing Schweinsteiger during the game against Finland, did not hide his excitement of getting to wear the No. 10 shirt.
