Manchester United are reportedly mulling over the prospect of testing Arsenal’s resolve in January with a £35 million bid for Mesut Ozil.
According to Mirror, Manchester United could bring their pursuit of Mesut Ozil forward to January in order to steal a march on other potential suitors for the German playmaker. The Arsenal contract rebel could be the subject of a mammoth £35 million bid in January as Jose Mourinho eyes a reunion with the playmaker.
Mesut Ozil is perhaps one of the prime examples of the sheer magic a brilliant playmaker is able to create on the field. Often labelled as a luxury player, the German has often shown that he is a luxury worth having rather than not, with some absolutely dumbfounding displays.
He has come under some scrutiny at Arsenal of late, with his work ethic being questioned. But, again, his statistics show a different picture – 4 goals and 5 assists in 18 games. The player has also been one of the most hardworking Arsenal players – he has one of the highest average distance covered in the league for Arsenal.
Still, his unwillingness to commit to a new deal has brought forth interest from various corners, chief among them are Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and one old friend – Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese is now the manager at Manchester United – he has been for a season and half now.
Mesut Ozil is just always creating. ? pic.twitter.com/49CgQLHkHb
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 31, 2017
Mourinho did bring in Henrikh Mkhitaryan to take the field as the designated number 10. But, the Armenian has failed to take flight at Old Trafford while the departure of Wayne Rooney has restricted the options available to him. Juan Mata prefers to play a bit wide and cut in during the game.
Jesse Lingard has emerged as a brilliant option of late, in a new number 10 role for him. But, Ozil would definitely be an upgrade on the academy ace, who can still be deployed on the wing without having an adverse affect on what he does. Ozil and Mourinho share mutual respect for each other, which could be a huge determining factor in Ozil’s decision.
With Ozil set to be a free agent in the summer, Mourinho could wait till the summer to do a deal, when it would be easier to negotiate with the player. But, the United boss might have to then contend against Bayern Munich and PSG, who are also eyeing the German playmaker, and perhaps, other suitors that may emerge.
Hence, to have a clear path, there are reports that Manchester United have given their manager the nod to bid up to £35 million in order to bring the player over to Old Trafford. This kind of amount for a player with just 6 months left on the contract is something Arsenal will have to think hard about rejecting.
It could come down to Wenger’s willingness to retain Ozil for the remainder of the season. But, chances are, if United do come in with the offer, we should see Ozil reunite with Mourinho in January itself.
