Official: M.Özil - "Arsenal" member © EuroFootball.com

Half an hour before the end of the transfer window, London's "Arsenal" announced the acquisition of Mesut Özil from Madrid's "Real" team.

Rumors that "Arsenal" had started negotiations with one of the best midfielders in the world were confirmed yesterday.

According to reports, Arsene Wenger agreed to pay a fee of £42.5 million - almost three times larger than the previous record "Gunners" transaction.

The green light for Özil to leave "Real" came after Gareth Bale joined the team from "Tottenham".

The German did not play in the recent royal club match against "Athletic Bilbao" which fueled further speculation.

Initially, there were talks that the "Gunners" wanted to acquire another "Real" midfielder - Angel Di Maria, but the latter was more suited to Carlo Ancelotti's future plans.

This summer, "Arsenal" has added four new players to the club - goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, midfielder Mathieu Flamini and young forward Yaya Sanogo, who arrived on loan basis on the last day.

Before Özil's transfer, A. Wenger had not spent money on new signings.