Star players, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are finally ready to move on after years of service to the club. Sanchez, whose contract expires in the summer, is subject to a transfer to Manchester City in a massive cut-price transfer fee.
There is no doubt that this move will make Ozil think about the club’s ambition and reconsider his plans especially with the World Cup approaching fast.
Rumours have it that there is interest from Manchester United to reunite their Portuguese manager and the German playmaker after their successful stint in Spain with Real Madrid.
In case you didn’t know
Mesut Ozil had a very fruitful three years at Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho. He registered over 60 assists in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, cementing his place as the best playmaker in the world during that time.
Admittedly, their relationship was far from ideal as they had their fair share of fiery moments. Mourinho once called Ozil a coward for walking away from a heated dressing confrontation. And this is just one instance where both of them clashed.
Nevertheless, Ozil always admired Mourinho for his intensity and persistence, stating that Mourinho was the reason he rejected Barcelona and joined Real Madrid in the first place. Mourinho even gave him the number 10 jersey, reinstating his confidence in making the German playmaker a crucial cog in the team.
At Arsenal, he continues to be an assist machine, winning the FA Cup thrice but his general performances have been hot and cold. With Ozil fast approaching 30, there is a high chance that he might feel he has one more big move left in him, especially before the World Cup.
Will he fit well at Manchester United?
Henrik Mkhitaryan started off the season in rampant form but quickly tailed off after Paul Pogba’s injury. Mourinho has been visibly frustrated with his performances and has often publicly expressed the same.
Juan Mata just doesn’t seem to fit into Mourinho’s plans despite the Spaniard consistently providing returns with the minimal time he gets on the field.
This leaves the spot for an attacking midfielder open in the team and where Ozil comes in. He will operate in the playmaker’s role and most importantly, he would reduce the attacking burdens on Pogba, allowing the Frenchman to perform with more freedom.
The only drawback is that Nemanja Matic will be under more pressure to defend as the German playmaker isn’t renowned for his work rate in defence. But knowing Mourinho, he will definitely make Ozil work again like he used to in his Madrid days.
Additionally, this will also mean that there will be three players competing for one spot. And more often than not, it will push all of them to train better and prove their worth.
Long-term outcome
With Mourinho fast approaching the end of his infamous three-year cycle, we can see a few signs of it happening already. Considering the fact that United is a club with an image to maintain, there is a huge chance that Mourinho will not last for a long time at Old Trafford.
If Ozil joins and becomes instrumental in the team finishing the season strong, the 2018-2019 season will be very crucial for both Ozil and Mourinho as they will have to deliver a big trophy i.e UCL or the Premier League.
If they fail to do so, Mourinho will most probably get the sack and that will leave Ozil in a tough place again as he is an emotionally driven player who works best in an atmosphere where he is motivated.
Conclusion
Overall, the move seems to be a high-risk high-reward situation for both the club and player. For Ozil, it will help him be back in contention for titles every season. He will get a chance to reunite with one of his favourite managers, something he will definitely relish.
Since he is entering his prime, a move to United will act as a fresh motivation to make the best use of his talents. His performance against Chelsea in the league is a reminder of what he is capable of on his best day when he has players of the ilk of Sanchez around him.
And with players like Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku running the channels, you would not bet against them striking a great chemistry and scoring a ton of goals, something which United are currently lacking in.
0 votes
