Midfielder Mesut Ozil has said he will pay Gunnersaurus’s wages after seeing the mascot let go by Arsenal after 27 years of service.
Jerry Quy was asked to leave the Emirates Stadium at the start of the week, with the club deciding that his services were no longer required as supporters couldn’t attend the games.
Quy became the fans favourite at Arsenal after he wore the famous dinosaur suit in 1993, just three years before the arrival of legendary manager Arsene Wenger.
The Arsenal Team mascot, Gunnersaurus was on the touchline during a glorious era for the club which saw the team win three Premier League titles, but has now become the latest victim of cost-cutting measures amid the financial uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis.
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Arsenal revealed plans for 55 redundancies in August as they set about reducing their costs without the safety net of weekly match-day revenue from ticket sales, broadcasters and commercial companies, but invited criticism by pledging to continue investing in new players in the transfer market.
Gunners legend Paul Merson has been among those to express his disappointment after the decision to part ways with Gunnersaurus, telling Sky Sports: “Unbelievable. All them kids, the Junior Gunners, there will be 30 and 40-year-old fans who have grown up with that dinosaur.
“It’s disappointing, I think it’s poor by Arsenal, I really do.”
Ozil has now tendered his own response, taking to social media to offer Gunnersaurus financial aid on Tuesday.
… so Jerry can continue his job that he loves so much. ❤️🙏🏼#JusticeForGunnersaurus #M1Ö #YaGunnersYa
— Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 6, 2020
“I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years,” the Arsenal midfielder wrote on Twitter.
“As such, I’m offering to reimburse Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player.”
Ozil’s kind gesture will likely only last until the summer of 2021, which is when his current contract at the Emirates is due to expire.
The German midfielder has not seen a single minute of action for Arsenal since returning from lockdown in June, having fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta, and is not expected to be offered a renewal.
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