Transfer news: Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas backs Mesut Ozil to 'kill' Premier League opposition after Real Madrid departure

Former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has backed Mesut Ozil to succeed in the Premier League after tipping him to “kill” opposition teams following the completion of his ?42.5m transfer from Real Madrid.

Fabregas returned to his childhood club Barcelona in the summer of 2011, but he has always maintained a close relationship with both the club and their fans, having spoken of his desire to one day return to play for the Gunners.

The 26-year-old Spaniard has come up against Ozil on six occasions in the famous ‘El Clasico’, experiencing the German’s exceptional talent at first hand.

And Fabregas is tipping the 24-year-old attacking midfielder to be a hit when he makes his Premier League debut this weekend in the Gunners’ away trip to Sunderland.

Speaking to Spanish radio show Al Primer Toque, Fabregas said: “He is going to enjoy the Premier League an awful lot. It is a league with much more space and Ozil is a player that, given time and space, he will kill you.

“As we have already seen from his time at Real Madrid, his final ball is brilliant and I believe that he will really enjoy himself in England.”

Ozil has already stated his excitement at playing for Arsenal under the guidance of manager Arsene Wenger, who has been credited with the acquisition of the former Werder Bremen star after personally phoning him to convince him to choose Arsenal over Paris St-Germain.

Wenger spoke to Ozil in fluent German, and the conversation led to Ozil admitting he felt a trust and confidence in him from the 63-year-old Frenchman that he was currently lacking from new Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Ozil will line-up alongside his German teammates Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker at the Emirates, although he did admit that he didn’t have time to consult the pair about the move as the deadline day deal happened so quickly.

Stand-in captain Mertesacker (in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen and Mikel Arteta) has publicly backed Ozil to be a success at the club.

“I think he is worth what we paid for him,” Mertesacker told the Daily Mail.

“He is a phenomenal player and I think he has not reached his best at the moment. I think his contribution to this club will be massive.”

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