Why This 28-Year Old Arsenal Pass Master Would Be Better Off Avoiding Manchester United

Why Joining Manchester United Would Be A Bad Move For Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil has been viewed as an enigma since his arrival in the Premier League in 2014 and that fact has not changed over the past few seasons. Always viewed as a luxury player who cannot make a difference when it matters the most, he did not do any justice to his reputation by failing to turn up in the big games, be it in the Champions League losses to Bayern Munich each season or in crunch Premier League fixtures.

Of course, the players around him did not help his cause either: the likes of Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck are good forwards but they are not lethal and certainly miss more than they score. As such, despite recording an impressive number of assists for the Gunners, the German international is could leave them for free next summer as he is in the final few months of his current contract.

The former Real Madrid star’s magic may have waned over the years but he is still viewed as a devastating play-maker who also has great pace. As such, a number of big clubs are looking to lure him and Manchester United are reportedly on top of the pile. The Red Devils apparently do not want to let go of such a quality act and have also contacted the player’s agent as per some media houses. Despite the obvious appeal of the move, it does not make a lot of sense for Ozil to go to Old Trafford.

Why? Let’s find out.

With 23 goals and 42 assists in 121 Premier League appearances for the Londoners, the 28-year old pass master has often been the creative fulcrum of Arsene Wenger’s side around whom other players operate. However, the situation at United is quite different where the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku are the ones around whom the team is being built. Both the Frenchman and the Belgian are miles ahead of the German in terms of work-rate and impact and it is quite likely that Ozil might have to settle for a quieter role than the current one.

He has previously worked with Jose Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu and he was a big success there but in Manchester, things are very different. The very adaptable Juan Mata has proved his ability to shape himself as per the team’s needs over and over again and is one of the first names on the team sheet. So it is unlikely that Ozil can displace him anytime soon. At the number 10 position, Heinrikh Mkhitaryan has been consistently impressing and he suits the team’s style much better than the 28-year-old is ever likely to.

Therefore, it makes more sense for Ozil to consider a move to some place other than Manchester, preferably to a Bundesliga side if possible. The 20-time Premier League winners would benefit from having an option as good as Ozil on the teamsheet but it is unlikely that he would get to play a big role for the Red Devils.