Mesut Ozil claims he would have joined Arsenal 'for free' after crucial phone call with Arsene Wenger

Manager spoke to Ozil in German to put trust back into the 24-year-old

Mesut Ozil in training for Germany (GETTY IMAGES)

Mesut Ozil has claimed that he would have joined new club Arsenal “for free” following the trust and respect that Arsene Wenger showed in him that he clearly felt he lacked at Real Madrid.

The 24-year-old signed for the Gunners in a £42.5m deadline day deal after claiming he was “forced out” by the Spanish club, who were looking to recoup a portion of the reported £86m they spent on Gareth Bale.

In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Ozil admitted that Wenger called him personally to convince the attacking midfielder that he should join the Gunners, while speaking in perfect German.

“In some way, that conversation flicked a switch in me and made me realise what I had lost at Madrid - transparency, trust, respect,” Ozil explained.

“He told me exactly how he saw me, how he wanted to use me and what he expected of me.

“I would have even joined Arsenal for free,” he claimed.

Ozil is likely to make his debut for the north London club when they travel to the Stadium of Light to take on Sunderland next Saturday, before they head to France to face Marseille in their opening Champions League encounter.

He is already looking beyond that though, having previously expressed his determination to bring silverware back to the Emirates, and claims that he hasn’t made the move to miss out on success.

'We will do everything we can to get as far as possible in all competitions,' he said. 'I learned that at Real.

'I don't go into any competition say: The target is the semi-final or the final. When I play, I want to win.

Ozil featured in Germany’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Austria on Friday that reaffirmed their place at the top of Group C, which also features the Republic of Ireland.

A win on Tuesday against the Faroe Islands will cement their place in next summer’s tournament, allowing Ozil to focus on his future Arsenal career.