Santi Cazorla: 'Magical Mesut Ozil is a gift - I did not think he would sign for Arsenal'
Spaniard delighted to be playing alongside German playmaker
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Santi Cazorla has described Mesut Ozil as ‘magic’, and while he was surprised that the German playmaker decided to leave Real Madrid for Arsenal, he says having him at the Emirates Stadium is a ‘gift’.
“He brings us something different, because he’s all talent, what he does is magic," Cazorla was quoted in Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. "It seems like he’s not there and then he changes a game with one control, one pass.”
Ozil joined Arsenal for a club-record £42.5m on deadline day, and was linked with other teams such as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United before completing his move to north London.
"It surprised us that he came to Arsenal, because you don’t expect him to leave Madrid and then choose our team. For us he’s a gift."
Arsene Wenger’s side sit top of the Premier League by two points, and despite the 1-0 defeat at Manchester United in their last match, Cazorla says the team have "matured" from last season, when they finished fourth.
“We’ve matured," the winger added. "It’s nice to see yourself top, it gives you strength and confidence, but there’s a long way to go.
"We had to be more consistent and we are now, that is a defect that we have corrected. The team is not as ‘innocent’, we are committing fewer errors.
"Last year, through forgetfulness or lack of concentration, we lost games stupidly and we have learned from that."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments