Mesut Ozil
Reuters

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has denied allegations that Mesut Ozil was forced out of the club.

The Spanish giants brought in Gareth Bale for a record fee of £86m and subsequently sold Ozil to Arsenal on deadline day which was deemed as a move to gather funds to facilitate the Welshman's arrival. The move had not gone down well with the Madrid faithful with many demanding his transfer to be stopped on the day of the former Spurs star's unveiling.

However, Perez insists that Ozil's departure was a consequence of his inability to handle the pressure at Madrid. He also poured water over the theory that Bale and Ozil's transfers were interlinked by stating that the German international had expressed a desire to leave the club.

"Ozil asked to leave the club and nobody here should be upset about it. He could not stand the pressure of Madrid," Perez told Bernabeudigital.com.

Real Madrid's loss has been Arsenal's gain as the 24-year-old showed in only 10 minutes in their game against Sunderland as to what an asset he can be at any club in Europe. The midfielder marked his debut with a brilliant touchdown from a long ball by Kieran Gibbs and slid it through to Olivier Giroud who scored with finesse. The midfielder also produced a few moments of magic in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Mareille in the Champions League.

His arrival has also had a positive effect on the players who are revelling at the prospect of having one of the best playmakers play alongside them. Aaron Ramsey, who has been the standout performer for the Gunners this season, was quick to point out the class his new teammate holds following his debut against Sunderland.

"I think he showed what he's all about today slipping those little balls through. He's a fantastic player and is very gifted. He's going to create a lot of opportunities for us. He has a wonder of a left foot. He caresses the ball and the passes seem to be of a perfect weight and right into people's strides," Ramsey told www.arsenal.com.

Real Madrid