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‘I knew deal was close before derby’

Mesut Ozil and Arsene Wenger
Mesut Ozil and Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has revealed he found out that a deal for Mesut Ozil was close shortly before the north London derby kicked off.

Olivier Giroud’s first-half goal secured an important victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 1, by which time the boss was confident of signing Ozil.

"I thought we had a chance to do it, a small one, but we worked very hard on it until the end"

Arsene Wenger

Wenger says “hard work” and optimism was the reason for the deal going through.

“To say it was all under control is a big exaggerated because not a lot was under control,” the boss said. “But I told you two or three days before… I looked a bit lonely when I said I was optimistic but in the end it happened.

“I thought we had a chance to do it, a small one, but we worked very hard on it until the end. It was very complicated in the end because the timing was short, but on Sunday when I came to the Tottenham game, just at 2 o'clock I thought we will manage to do it. Before the game I knew we were 90 per cent there.”

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