Arsenal have been left unimpressed after Mesut Ozil defended his decision not to take a pay cut at the Emirates.
The German earns £350,000-a-week at the Emirates but chose not to join the majority of the squad in taking a 12.5 per cent deducation.
Instead the playmaker claimed that the players were "rushed into it without proper consultation" as provisions were made in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Arsenal have since made more than 50 people redundant which is thought to have upset several Gunners stars.
But Ozil has hit out at the negative publicity he has received after it emerged he declined to take a pay cut, reports the Daily Mail.
The 31-year-old insists that "people have been trying for two years to destroy me" and "push an agenda they hope will turn the supporters against me".
Ozil has endured a difficult relationship with Arsenal's fans with accusations often levelled at him that he doesn't turn up in big games.
The World Cup winner's talent has never been in question but other factors have seen him marginalised by Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta.
He failed to play a single minute following the Premier League's restart but has hit out Arteta's selection.
Ozil played regularly before football was postponed in March and has questioned why things changed so drastically.
"You don't play 10 games in a row if you're unfit, not good enough or don't behave well," he told The Athletic.
"If I played these games badly and was then left out completely for that reason then I might understand, but this was not the case.
"Possibly the decision affected my chances on the pitch, I don't know. But I'm not afraid to stand up for what I feel is right and when you see what has happened now with the jobs, maybe I was."
Ozil maintains that he will see out the remainder of his contract at the Emirates amid continues reports that he will be offloaded this summer.
