Ozil's exit from Adidas not over public image concerns, says agent

Mesut Ozil's agent says the Arsenal midfielder still has the star power to attract a significant brand when his current sponsorship deal with German manufacturing giant Adidas expires at the end of June.

Reports in Germany on Wednesday suggested Ozil was being cut from Adidas' roster of athletes due to concerns about his public image, emanating largely from his relationship with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was a legal witness at the 31-year-old's wedding last year.

But Ozil's agent, Erkut Sogut, says both sides have mutually agreed to let the contract expire, thus ending a partnership that has been in place for nearly eight years, dating back to the German's time at Real Madrid.

"He could sign another deal tomorrow," Sogut told ESPN. "Nobody has the reach he has in the Premier League, so you can imagine what attraction he has for many boots brands."

Sogut added that Ozil has decided to focus on building and expanding his own lifestyle and sportswear brand, M10.

"Adidas knew he was pushing his own thing. He has been doing it on Twitter lately, so it is now time to build his own brand while he is still actively playing," he said. "That is unique in football. Some players reach the end of their career and then try to build a brand but we think that is too late."

He added, "The (original story) is giving the impression that one side doesn't want the other side anymore. That isn't true. Mesut wants to promote his own brand."

Ozil is under contract with Arsenal until 2021.