Reports: Manchester United to make stunning €91 million bid for playmaker 

What's the story?

Manchester United are ready to up the ante in the transfer window as they look to begin 2018 (the calendar year) with a bang and show the whole wide world that they are still Kings of the Jungle - a hard act considering what's happening 'round the corner at the noisy neighbours'.

To this end, it is understood by the good folk over at ESPN that Jose Mourinho has been handed a £80 million (€91 million) pound treasure-chest and the Special One is ready to offload almost all of that, if not the whole thing, on Arsenal's very own 'special one' Mesut Ozil.

In case you didn't know...

Mesut Ozil and Jose Mourinho share a rich history and while Mourinho has blasted him in public and in private, he's always done it with the intention of getting the best out of him... that's just the kind of guy Mourinho is. (Read, Also - Understanding the Devil inside Jose Mourinho)

Mourinho, in fact, is a big fan of Ozil (and vice-versa) and once said during his Real Madrid days that if he turned his back on the training pitch, he would still be able to know when Ozil kicked the ball because it made a different noise... he's always hailed the German as the best no.10 in the world, and he would see the addition of Ozil as the final piece in the United attacking jigsaw puzzle.

The heart of the matter

Arsenal, of course, are keen to pin Ozil down to a new contract... but with the Gunners' seemingly lacking the financial capabilities and the title ambitions that Ozil is looking for, he might just be swayed by an approach from his former boss.

He is free to leave on a free in January - and with other clubs circling, Arsenal may be inclined to start a bidding war for their best player in order to make the most of a bad situation.

Video

Here's Mesut Ozil doing Mesut Ozil things

What a lovely, lovely, player, eh?

Author's take

Arsenal - and Arsenal's fans - would be loathed to see one of their absolute favourites move up North... while United fans would probably burst from pure Schadenfreude.

In terms of playing, though, Jesse Lingard's sudden rise in the no.10 position (Read Also, Jesse Lingard: When true grit and heart pay dividends) may give Mourinho a re-think on his targets. Playing Ozil on the right-wing, meanwhile, would not really get the best out of the German either.