10 Players Who Probably Regret Leaving Real Madrid

1. Mesut Ozil

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP/Press Association ImagesDaniel Ochoa de Olza/AP/Press Association ImagesIt might be too early to say for certain whether Mesut Ozil's move from Real Madrid to Arsenal was a mistake, but in these early stages it certainly looks that way. Ozil had it all at Real - the money, the prestige of playing for one of Europe's greatest ever club teams, and an unquestionable reputation as one of the game's finest playmakers. At Arsenal, things turned sour. His abilities were immediately called into question due to the sheer side of his £42.5 million price tag, and his return of five goals in 26 league appearances did more to damage his reputation than boost it. Soon, criticisms of Ozil were starting to fly in from all angles. Real legend Zinedine Zidane said recently that the German lacked the strength to fight for his place at the Bernabeu, while the Mail Online went one step further and claimed Ozil was worth next to nothing - even accusing him of €œnicking a living€. Given the hostility the midfielder has had to put up with since moving to England, he may well wish he had stayed in Spain.
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Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.