Real Madrid players Sergio Ramos, Isco and Alvaro Arbeloa were surprised at the decision to sell Mesut Ozil to Arsenal. The German completed his transfer to the London club on Monday, with Arsenal paying a transfer fee of £42.4 million.
"He is a teammate and a friend; he's different," Ramos told Marca. "Mesut is a different kind of player. If it were up to me, he would be one of the last ones to go. But Özil and the club have made the decision and I can only wish him the best."
It is apparent that Ozil and Ramos had a good relationship and the Spaniard laments his former teammates decision to leave.
"I got on really well with him. He is a unique player and it makes me sad. These are personal matters and he is free to choose what he wants," he said.
New Madrid signing Isco, revealed the transfer came as a surprise to him. Considering he and Ozil play in a similar position and that the German is leaving, the purchase of Isco is sure to have contributed to the transfer.
"The truth is that I'm surprised about Özil, and even more so after he said last week that he would be staying," Isco was quoted as saying by the same paper. "We all know Özil - he's got a lot of quality, a player that can really turn a game round."
Despite Ozil leaving, the play-maker is excited by the prospect of playing with Gareth Bale.
"It was about time that Bale came, because the press was going on day after day about it, and now at last he has signed," Isco said.
Former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa shared similar sentiments. He considers Ozil to be a unique player who is highly influential on the field.
"I'm a little surprised, yes," Arbeloa told Marca. "It's a shame because he's a different type of player, one of a kind, someone who makes a difference. He must have had his reasons and what we need to do now is look to the future, [his] departure is tough on everyone."
