Mesut Ozil reveals he was 'tempted' to leave Arsenal for China last summer

A number of clubs have been linked with the 28-year-old with an offer from China last summer said to be worth as much as £100million after tax

Mesut Ozil reveals he nearly turned his back on the Gunners last summer (Getty)

Mesut Ozil says he was tempted to leave Arsenal for China last summer.

The German star is yet to commit his future to the club with only a little over a year remaining on his current contract with the Gunners.

A number of clubs have been linked with the 28-year-old with an offer from China last summer said to be worth as much as £100million after tax.

But despite the riches on offer Ozil says he never truly considered leaving for the Chinese Super League.

“Money never played a big role for me in football. I play football because I love it,” he told Goal. “Sure, you do not earn peanuts and the offer from China was tempting and interesting.

“But as I said: Money is not everything. I want to win titles and I have my goals I want to achieve. That is more important than money. That's why I said from the beginning, that China is not an option for me.”

Ozil's form has been shaky of late with club legend Martin Keown particularly critical claiming he's "sulking his way out of the club" but the man himself insists he’s “very comfortable” living in London.

“I simply love to live here. London is a world city. There is so much you can do,” he added. “There are many different cultures here and I just feel very, very comfortable.

“The club is huge and I enjoy playing for Arsenal. Living in London is awesome.”