Is the 29-year-old going to sign for the Red Devils in January?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (Photo: AFP)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger poured cold water over rumours that star midfielder Mesut Ozil could be moving to rivals Manchester United in the January transfer window by categorically stating the German was going to be a Gunner till the end of the current season at least.
The North Londoners, host 16th placed Newcastle United on Saturday and Wenger was asked at the pre-match press conference whether Ozil will remain an Arsenal player in January to which he emphatically replied, “Yeah. I can tell you a global answer: yes”.
Reports of Jose Mourinho getting reunited with Ozil have been inescapable of late, with the Portuguese manager a big fan of the German since their Real Madrid days.
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Mourinho, Wenger’s arch-nemesis, manages Premier League giants Manchester United and the Red Devils are said to be on the lookout for a playmaker with Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan failing to hold down regular starting spots these days.
Ozil arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2013 for a then-club record fee of £42.5 million and is considered one of the most aesthetically-pleasing midfielders to have ever graced the English top-flight.
The 29-year-old is a divisive figure among the Gunners faithful, with one half feeling his work-rate is not enough for an elite footballer while the other half feel he’s been let down by his teammates’ profligacy on a number of occasions.
Despite his lack of physical presence, Ozil remains a gifted player and considering the fact that the German will be able to sign for a free transfer in the summer as his contract runs out, will have not just United, but several other top sides queuing up to sign him.
The last player to sign for United from Arsenal was Robin van Persie in 2012 and the Dutchman instantly became a reviled figure for the Gunners faithful but it remains to be seen whether Ozil will risk the ire of Arsenal fans by joining their arch-rivals.
While Wenger has stressed Ozil will not transfer to a club once the winter transfer window opens on January 1, 2018, the German is free to sign a pre-contract with any club of his choice as he will be in the final six months of his contract.
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