Ian Wright concedes Mesut Ozil would play better at Manchester United. Ian Wright admits Mesut Ozil would perform better at Manchester United than he has at Arsenal. Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season and can talk to foreign clubs this month with a view to walking away from Arsenal for free in the summer. Wenger has insisted the club will not cash in on the playmaker in the January transfer window and has routinely said he remains hopeful Ozil can be tied down to a new deal. Alexis Sanchez and Ozil could leave the club oin free transfers in the summer.
Asked if Ozil would perform better if he moved to United, a club he has been linked with in the British press, Arsenal legend Wright said on The Debate: “Yes. I do. I think he’s that type of player who will drag a team by its bootlaces through a game, but if your team is playing well, he’s going to sprinkle stardust all over the place. “With the players he’d be playing with at Man Utd as well, he is unbelievable. He is just awesome, and with the right team, and the right movement in front of him, he is easily one of the best I’ve seen. He’s amazing.
“Is this difficult to say? Yeah. And we can’t keep arguably two of the best players, arguably in the history of the club, ability-wise. It’s sad times.” It remains to be seen who Arsenal will target to replace Ozil and Alexis Sanchez should they leave the club, but Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez has been linked with the Emirates. Asked if the Algerian is a suitable replacement, Wright said: “Arsenal are in a position now where someone like Mahrez has to go there and really pull up trees to get them back to a position where they should be. “What help would Mahrez have? They’re looking at two unbelievable players who might walk out of the club.”
Ozil is one of a number of Arsenal players that are out of contract at the end of the season. Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez would also be available for free come the summer if they do not extend their current deals. German World Cup winner Ozil has been linked with a move to Manchester United and a reunion with Jose Mourinho, who managed him for three years at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013. Marcotti believes Arsenal are more confident in extending the contract of Ozil than Sanchez, who is wanted by Manchester City.
But he has not ruled out a move from United if they can ship out a body, most likely that of Mkhitaryan who has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford in recent months. “Mesut Ozil, a slightly different situation (to Sanchez),” Marcotti said. “The club say that, or Wenger anyway has said that he is pretty confident that Ozil’s going to extend his deal.
