Ozil had been repeatedly frozen out of the Blancos’ starting lineup when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge and had been convinced by Arsene Wenger that his future lay in north London. With Real Madrid needing the cash to sign Gareth Bale for a world record fee, they were happy to accept Arsenal’s bid that summer.

Of late, a number of reports claimed Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane wanted to bring the German midfielder back to the Bernabeu. Ozil’s style of play has been likened to the France legend and the comparisons between the two amounted to various stories of Ozil returning to Madrid.

But in an interview with Spox, Ozil praised Zidane but said there was no truth in the reports.

“Zidane was an amazing player,” Ozil said. “He did not just play football but lived for the game.

“I got to know him after his active career as someone who is always willing to lend a hand.

“But that does not say anything about my future,” Ozil continued. “I am only thinking about Arsenal. There is no truth in the speculation linking me with a return to Spain.”

Ozil had earlier rubbished reports of a move away from Arsenal by taking to Twitter.

Ozil continued to talk about Zidane and why he was such a great player, touching upon his simple style of play without involving any trickery.

“I have watched a lot of games involving Zidane,” he said. “He was one of the most clever players in the world.

“He was able to read the game and direct play without any unnecessary tricks and showboating. That’s what makes him so special.”

The Arsenal star is currently chasing a Premier League assist record that belongs to former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. Henry had 20 assists in a season and Ozil is currently on 18 assists with eight games to go.

Ozil reveals his diet to stay fit and avoid injury

The German midfielder had missed a few months last season with a leg injury and revealed that he had done his homework to ensure it was not repeated.

“After the injury last season I decided to switch some things and do them differently,” Ozil explained. “During my injury I realised how much I miss football and I wanted to avoid at all costs another period spent watching from the sidelines.

“That’s why I changed my diet. I used to allow myself Coca-Cola, now I drink a lot more water.

“Today I eat significantly less bread than a few years ago. I’m also in the weight room a lot more and I’ve put on muscle mass and feel in top shape. Good fitness prevents injuries.”

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