Mesut Ozil has been telling friends he is wanted by Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho... so how would the German fit in at Old Trafford?
- Manchester United have been linked with a move for Arsenal's Mesut Ozil
- The German has been telling friends that Jose Mourinho will want to sign him
- Mourinho is a big admirer of Ozil and wrote a foreword for his autobiography
- Ozil said Mourinho was sole reason he joined Real Madrid from Werder Bremen
- Best bets at Man City, Chelsea, Spurs plus the rest of the weekend predictions
Mesut Ozil was still a Werder Bremen player when his Germany team-mate Sami Khedira forwarded him a text from new Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2010.
‘It read: “Hi Sami. Have a look at our starting line-up for the future”,’ Ozil recalled in his autobiography Gunning for Greatness.
‘Eleven names followed. Ronaldo obviously. And (Sergio) Ramos. And Khedira. And then I saw my name, even though I wasn’t under contract yet. Mourinho must have been very confident to already be telling other players that he was after me.’
Mesut Ozil has his eye on a move to Manchester United and a reunion with Jose Mourinho
Ozil is convinced the United manager will make a move to sign him from Arsenal
Ozil went on to have the best spell of his career under Mourinho at the Bernabeu, even though the two men enjoyed a rocky relationship at times.
Mourinho even wrote the foreword to the player’s autobiography in which Ozil revealed: ‘He alone is the reason why I went to Real Madrid from Werder Bremen in 2010. I didn’t choose the club, I chose him. I wanted to play for him and no-one else.’
Mourinho, in turn, was effusive in his praise of Ozil after the two men left Madrid for London – Ozil for Arsenal, Mourinho for Chelsea – in 2013.
‘Ozil is unique,’ said Mourinho. ‘There is no copy of him, not even a bad copy. He is the best No 10 in the world. Everyone loves him and sees a bit of Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane in him.’
It is perhaps no surprise therefore to hear that Ozil would like to be reunited with Mourinho if he leaves Arsenal on a free transfer at the end of the season, telling friends that he believes his former coach will make a move for him.
Mourinho and Ozil have a good relationship from their time together at Real Madrid
Mourinho has previously described the German as 'the best No 10 in the world'
But, seven years on from that text, how would Ozil fit into Mourinho’s line-up now?
First of all, United would have to be willing to match wage demands of up to £300,000 a week for a player who will be 30 on his next birthday, even though they would save a considerable sum on the transfer fee. Ozil, a club record £42.5million signing for Arsenal in 2013, will be a free agent.
Then there is the question of how he would best fit into Mourinho’s plans. The obvious answer is that he would bring more creativity to a team that has increased in size and speed since the Portuguese coach took over from Louis van Gaal, but not necessarily in skill.
United, you could argue, still lack a player with guile and artistry, the very attributes that Ozil has made his trademark over the years. Few players can see an opportunity and create a chance quite like the gifted German.
Mourinho has used a number of players in the No 10 role – Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and, more recently, Henrikh Mkhitaryan – with varying degrees of success. Each one brings his own attributes but none, you could argue, have the subtlety of Ozil.
Certainly, he would be more effective for United there than on the wing where he has often played for Arsenal. Mata often looks out of place in a similar position for United.
One question mark hanging over the Spaniard, in Mourinho’s mind at least, is his work-rate. Those reservations would certainly apply to Ozil as well.
It remains to be seen whether or not United launch a move for the playmaker
Returning to his autobiography, he famously told the story of a half-time confrontation with Mourinho during Madrid’s win over Deportivo La Coruna in 2012.
‘You think two beautiful passes are enough,’ said Mourinho. ‘You’re too fine for going into fights. You think you’re so good that 50 per cent is enough.’
Later, when the player was struggling in his first season in the Premier League, Mourinho said: ‘If you are expecting Ozil to be super aggressive and running miles and miles side to side, and to show great enthusiasm and aggression, this is not Mesut.’
Would Ozil’s flair make up for that lack of aggression in Mourinho’s team now? Could he be the creative spark sometimes lacking at United? It’s an intriguing thought and one that is likely to come up before next summer.
Ozil's creative flair is sometimes tempered by a relative lack of aggression
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