Mesut Ozil has made another u-turn in what seemed to be an inevitable move to rival brand adidas. The Ozil saga took another twist at the weekend, with the Real Madrid no.10 wearing the Nike Mercurial ACC Vapor VIII.
Ozil has reportedly been a free-agent this season and has used the time to experiment with other football boots - the German international had brief spells in the Predator LZ and f50 adizero. The midfielder has now gone full circle, returning to the Mercurial Vapor VIII.
 |
 |
After an extended spell wearing the white-out f50 adizero miCoach, many of us expected adidas and Ozil to announce an official partnership which would see the midfielder become one of the lead faces for the new adizero line. A deal would have made sense – both Real Madrid and Germany are sponsored by the three stripes.
But it seems Nike could hold onto their man after all. Ozil was initially contracted by Nike, but declined an extension on the deal to trial other football boots. In a recent statement, the 24-year-old commented; “I appreciate the cooperation with Nike in recent years, but I now want to take my time and use the unsigned time to test different shoes.”
Have Nike finally won the race to secure Ozil's signature? Prizing one of Nike's biggest names away would have been a big win for adidas, but after weeks of deliberation the midfielder looks to be staying put – until Real Madrid's next match anyway!
Which brand do you think Ozil would be better suited with? Is he right to stay with Nike and the Mercurial Vapor VIII? Let us know. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.