Transfer story
You always saw this coming, didn’t you? Mesut Ozil’s contract situation at Arsenal is still unresolved and with only a few days remaining before the January window reopens, he could be on the move. The Gunners are apparently giving in to Ozil’s wage demands and are ready to make him the highest paid player ever for Arsenal. However, the former Real Madrid man now could wait and see the offers on his table before signing an extension.
If such a situation takes a serious turn, then Arsenal will prefer making some money from his sale rather than see him leave for free next summer. Ozil seems to be frustrated by the lack of ambition shown by Arsenal in recent times and thinks that he deserves better at the prime stage of his career.
Reports are rife that Manchester United want to sign the playmaker. Mourinho has always been an admirer of the playmaker and appreciates his quality and approach on the field. Arguably, Ozil’s best years as a professional footballer came under the guidance of Mourinho at Real Madrid and the duo could work together again.
Ozil’s impact
The German has been one of the topmost playmakers in world football since his breakthrough performances at Werder Bremen. His incredible vision, passing range, and set-piece taking abilities set him apart from his peers.
He thrives while playing in a free role behind the striker as it gives him the liberty to move around the opposition’s half; taking on defenders, playing one-twos, looking for space and then making that killer pass in the box.
The Schalke academy product has always been criticised for disappearing in the important games, though. The criticism includes the lack of defensive contribution.
This season in the 12 Premier League games he has featured in, Ozil has taken on the opposition on 11 successful occasions out of the 19 attempted. He has won 46% of duels, an impressive stat for an attacking midfielder. Moreover, he is always looking to create something during the entire course of the game.
His consistency level has certainly increased this season as Ozil was simply breathtaking in the North London derby last month. Many fans and critics alike labelled that game as his best performance ever in an Arsenal shirt. Ozil has shown signs of getting rid of complacency that has drawn critics in the past couple of years.
The difference that his inclusion could make
Manchester United started the season on a bright note but some inconsistent performances and a couple of poor individual errors made them suffer as the season progressed. Jose Mourinho has accused Henrikh Mkhitaryan of disappearing during games.
His replacement, Jesse Lingard, has done well in patches but has failed to bring the overall consistency to his game. With United looking to compete in the Champions League too, Ozil’s inclusion in January will do them a world of good. Compared to Mkhitaryan and Lingard, who has won 37% and 36% of their duels respectively, Ozil has been a lot better. Also, the German has created a whopping 43 goalscoring chances, which is a lot more than Mkhitaryan (24) and Lingard (10) have mustered.
Overall, Ozil will bring a lot more creativity compared to the other attacking midfielders at Manchester United currently. With just six months left on his contract, he might come cheap for a player of great calibre. It is imperative United sign the World Cup winner
All Stats from Squawka.com