Ozil offered new deal at Emirates as Reds dither
UNITED will have to act quickly if they want to sign Mesut Ozil after the Arsenal midfielder was finally offered a new contract at the Emirates, according to sources close to the player.
Ozil currently earns around £154,000-a-week and while he would like a 30 per cent wage hike and his favoured No.10 shirt, winning titles is key to his next career decision.
M.E.N. Sport understands that the 29-year-old has yet to commit to a new deal as he wants to see Arsenal’s ‘prospective’ and their long-term plan ahead of signing the last big contract of his career.
Significantly, it is the first time there has been a breakthrough in contract talks since March.
Ozil had previously been offered a bonus-laden contract which was dependent on Arsenal getting into the semi-finals of major competitions.
It is understood that Ozil already has a couple of offers on the table from clubs in Europe but, crucially, United have yet to make contact.
The Germany superstar still enjoys a close relationship with Jose Mourinho, and the former Real Madrid manager only needed two hours’ notice to write a foreword for Ozil’s autobiography last year.
When asked whether he was interested in a reunion with Ozil last month, Mourinho, smirking, replied: “No comment.”
A January move is definitely off the table – even if Arsenal were to recoup somewhere between £15m and £20m of their original investment.
It is understood that Ozil is happy in London and bought a house in Hampstead last year – importing six tonnes of Turkish marble for the build. Jose Mourinho