Reports: Arsenal superstar wants to join Manchester United on a free 

What's the story?

After spending the whole of this past summer battling Manchester City and keeping them away from an exceptionally disgruntled Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal are going to have to ready themselves for an onslaught from the red half of Manchester, if reports in SportBild are to be believed.

The good folk at the German newspaper have reported (we get this via the Sun) that Mesut Ozil wants to reunite. with Jose Mourinho and pick it all off from they left it at Real Madrid.

In case you didn't know

Mesut Ozil, just like his teammate Alexis Sanchez, hasn't signed a new contract with the Gunners - the pair were holding out for better terms - and will be a free agent before the next transfer window rolls by.

This means he can just walk over to the north-west if Mourinho gives his okay - and Arsenal will be left with nothing.

Despite Ozil's impassioned plea and profession of love, to the Gunners (and Gooners) on his Facebook page, the German is yet to sign a new deal that would offer tangible proof that he wants to continue on at the Emirates

There are, of course, echoes of the move that took an on-fire Robin van Persie to Manchester United where his goals won the Red Devils the league title the very season he joined them.

The heart of the matter

Mesut Ozil has a number of critics - the criticism made easy by his laid-back approach to what the English still view as a blood-and-thunder game - but the sheer numbers he racks up are hard to argue against.

While he may not get the number of goals a playmaker of his calibre should get, his chance creation numbers (something that's much less dependent on others than assists or goals) are through the roof. In fact, he holds the Premier League record for chance creation in a single game (since such records began) with 12 against Sunderland.

Mourinho and Ozil share a surprisingly furitful relationship

He's often been accused of being lazy and unmotivated, though, and that's something Mourinho used to great effect at Real Madrid; by employing some grade-A motivational techniques and firing Ozil up - he was integral to the 121 goal season that propelled Real Madrid to the La Liga title!

Video

Mourinho and Ozil may not seem like the most natural of bedfellows...

but by Jove did Ozil play some masterful football under the aegis of the Portuguese coach

Author's Take

Ozil's stance, if true, just goes to highlight the deep rot that has set itself upon the once proud institution of Arsenal Football Club. To lose Ozil, and that too to United would be a body blow but to lose him on a free might just spell the end of Wenger's illustrious career - and wouldn't that be the most unkind way to leave a club where you've given your all.

On the footballing side of things, Ozil would fit in right alongside the likes of Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Lukaku - but with Mourinho seemingly having found a system that works he may not want to upset the applecart.