Manchester United considering swoop for Mesut Ozil… here’s five reasons why they should
OUT of contract at the end of the 2017-18 season, rumours surrounding Mesut Ozil’s future have been swirling for months.
Like team-mate and Manchester City transfer target Alexis Sanchez, it seems highly unlikely the Arsenal playmaker will remain at the Emirates beyond the current term.
Rivals Manchester United are now said to be leading the race for the 29-year-old’s signature.
Despite winning a World Cup with Germany and several honours at club level with Real Madrid and Arsenal, few players divide opinion quite like the enigmatic creator.
Available on a free next summer, Ozil represents a relatively low-risk option for any prospective suitor.
But several United fans still need convincing the former Werder Bremen star is the man to take Jose Mourinho’s side forward.
Our friends at Football Whispers don’t need to be convinced of Ozil’s quality, though, and here they provide five reasons why the German international would be a smash hit at Old Trafford.
Creativity
There are few players in world football able to carve open defences as regularly and efficiently as Ozil.
In the Premier League this season, only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (47) and Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas (45) have made more key passes than Ozil (43).
The closest United player to Ozil when it comes to key passes is Henrikh Mkhitaryan with 23.
Mkhitaryan has the same amount of assists to his name in the league this season (five).
But the Armenian, who has been dropped by Mourinho lately, registered his last assist way back in August.
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Assists, though, are not always the best measure of a player’s creativity as they require the chances created to be reliably finished by a colleague.
The expected assists (xA) stat, places a value on the chances a player creates irrespective of whether they are scored.
In this metric, Ozil (0.52 per 90 minutes) is way ahead of any United player – Anthony Martial is closest with 0.38 per 90.
With Mourinho’s preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation, Ozil would be a significant upgrade on any of the Red Devils’ current options for the No10 role.
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Experience
At 29-years-old, Ozil is at the peak of his powers.
The German played a key role in his nation’s World Cup triumph in 2014 and was a vital cog in a title-winning Real Madrid side during his three years at the Bernabeu.
Ozil’s experience of performing and winning at the highest level could prove invaluable to a developing United side aiming to build a title challenge.
Motivation
The aspect of Ozil’s game that is most often brought into question is his application. Many perceive that the Arsenal star does not always give his all on the pitch.
Regardless of perception, however, Ozil remains a consistent and dependable creator of chances.
And, turning 30 in the early part of next season, his next move might represent his last chance to add to his trophy collection while still being a major player at a top club.
Premier League Proven
Any alternative targets from abroad that United might be considering would inherently need time to adapt to the Premier League.
And even then, there are no guarantees of success in England’s top flight – Mkhitaryan’s struggles at Old Trafford after starring in the Bundesliga are evidence of that.
That wouldn’t be the case with Ozil, who will already have five Premier League seasons under his belt.
The Arsenal star has been directly involved in 75 goals in 128 league games since moving to the Emirates in 2013. He is ready to come straight in and improve United.
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The Mourinho Factor
Mourinho and Ozil have history; the pair worked together for three seasons at Real Madrid.
They didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but no manager has ever been able to get a tune out of Ozil quite like the Portuguese tactician did at the Bernabeu.
Acting as the main supply line to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Ozil produced a phenomenal 81 assists in 159 appearances for Los Blancos, as well as chipping in with 27 goals of his own.
At this stage of his career, Ozil might need Mourinho as much as Mourinho needs Ozil.