Arsenal may lose Mesut Ozil to Manchester United
Mesut Ozil may have more than three points on his mind as Arsenal take on Manchester United this weekend. The talented German midfielder may also view the match as an audition to play for Jose Mourinho’s club.
Reports from England claim that the brain trust at Old Trafford is split in their opinion of the Arsenal number ten. Some believe his game is perfectly suited to unlock the club’s star-studded attack. Other officials point to his history of disappearing in big matches as evidence he can’t really help United reach their full potential.
It’s possible that Ozil can unify opinion in his favour with a tour de force against United this weekend. Arsenal come into the match with serious momentum and will look to strike a blow against Jose Mourinho for their manager Arsene Wenger. If the Gunners are going to win, Ozil will have to play one of his better matches.
Wenger would certainly prefer to keep the German international in North London for the long haul, but Arsenal officials are concerned that Ozil won’t sign a new deal with the club. His contract serves as a ticking time bomb at the Emirates currently.
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Those circumstances present a unique opportunity for United to purchase Ozil at a severely discounted price. It’s very possible that Arsenal would accept a transfer fee as low as £30 million for the midfielder. Even if Ozil isn’t the world-class star that many people believe him to be, he is certainly talented enough to merit a bid of that relatively modest amount.
United have to be careful though. If they hand Ozil a bumper new contract then he will need to produce prodigious results for them. That’s the evaluation they are still trying to make. Everyone at Old Trafford knows that Ozil is a good player, but can he serve as a real difference maker for them? That will be the question that determines whether or not they jump in with a significant transfer bid.
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The way Ozil plays against United this weekend shouldn’t really influence club officials all that much, but recency bias certainly exists. If the German can dominate the match, he could parlay it into a massive move to Manchester United in just a month’s time.