Arsene Wenger has revealed that he helped prevent Arsenal from missing out on the signing of Mesut Ozil.
The Germany international made the surprise £42.4 million move to the Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013.
Wenger admits Ozil’s transfer, which was officially completed on deadline day, was at risk from Paris Saint-Germain as they expressed a late interest in signing the German.
The former Arsenal manager has revealed that he had to warn PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi off making a move on the morning of the transfer.
‘It was a big signing, because it was a period where we came a little bit out of our financial restrictions,’ Arsene Wenger told Arsenal’s official website.
‘He’s a player who I admired always, who I was in touch with when he went to Real Madrid.
‘Finally we could do it, it was a change of financial potential at the club 2014-15, (and) we had a bit more resources. ‘There were big complications because it has to be done quickly.
‘I think I was on the phone at 2 o’clock in the morning and it was not done, at 6 o’clock in the morning it was done. Paris Saint-Germain were interested in signing Ozil.
‘Dick Law and Ivan Gazidis were hard-working on the case.
‘I was on the phone because we played Tottenham the next day, in the morning when I woke up it was done.
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‘I remember just before I left to the stadium I had a call from the president of Paris Saint-Germain asking me: ‘have you done the deal or not? Because we want to do it.’ ‘And I said: ‘please don’t touch, it’s finished.”
