Mesut Ozil ‘regrets joining Arsenal and has told Real Madrid he wants to return’

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil regrets joining the Gunners and has told former club Real Madrid that he’d like to return to the Bernabeu, according to reports in Spain.

The 28-year-old moved to the Emirates in a club record £42.5million deal from Madrid in 2013.

After a difficult first couple of seasons, Ozil’s emerged as one of Arsenal’s most important players and Arsene Wenger is desperate for the German to sign a new deal at the club.

Ozil’s deal runs out in a little over 18 months but Arsenal are unwilling to meet his £250,000-a-week wage demands.

However, according to Marca, Ozil never wanted to join the Gunners and has reached out to his former club to tell them he’d happily rejoin them.

Wenger admitted earlier this year that the German struggled during his first season at the club and had to persuade Ozil that Arsenal was the right choice for him.

Another Arsenal star, Alexis Sanchez, is also in a contract stand-off with the club and, though Arsenal would loathe to lose Ozil, next summer would be their last opportunity to get a big price for the German.

Marca claim Ozil’s currently analysing his options and would happily return to La Liga with Real Madrid, where he spent three years during his first stint.