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Mesut Ozil could still have become a Manchester United player hours before the transfer window closed on deadline day and the Real Madrid star made a £42.5million move to Arsenal.
The Ozil drama came at the end of a chaotic window for United and their new manager David Moyes in which the Premier League champions tried and failed with a scattergun approach to signing some of Europe’s top midfielders.
Sportsmail can reveal the Germany star's father and adviser Mustafa is taking legal action against an agent over what he claims is a forged mandate offering his son to United on August 7.
However, a genuine mandate signed by him was presented to the club in mid-August but United decided not to go ahead with the deal after taking 48 hours to consider the offer.
It is understood Moyes was looking for a midfield general and was not convinced Ozil’s style fitted the type of domineering player he needed.
United were already preparing a bid for Roma’s Daniele De Rossi and also tried for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera and Ozil’s Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira on deadline day before signing Marouane Fellaini from Everton for £27m in the final hour.
It has emerged, however, that there was interest from both Real and United in reviving the Ozil deal until late on deadline day.
Even though he had passed a medical for Arsenal while on international duty in Munich and flown to London to complete the deal, there was ongoing contact between Old Trafford and the Bernabeu.
Real were prepared to sell to United as late as 8pm with Ozil understood to prefer a move to Manchester.
United did finally register an interest although it was some way short of a formal bid aimed at hijacking the Arsenal deal. But they were told that his move the Emirates was too far advanced at that stage and the offer was no longer on the table.
It was then that United made their last-minute move for Khedira – as well as Real left back Fabio Coentrao – after deciding against activating the £36m release clause in Herrera’s contract at Bilbao.
Both moves failed with Madrid pulling the plug on Coentrao’s move when their chosen replacement, Guilherme Siqueira from Granada, joined Benfica instead.
Moyes and Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward then turned to their back-up option in Fellaini and pushed through his move from Everton.
It left United supporters somewhat underwhelmed and the club under fire for failing to be more decisive about their transfer targets.
Worse still, Ozil’s magnificent start in helping Arsenal to the top of the Premier League has contrasted with Fellaini’s early appearances and United’s worst league start for 24 years, and the fact that the Belgian now faces a seven-week lay-off with a wrist injury.
However, Moyes remains determined to add two more midfielders – possibly not until next summer – with Herrera still high on his list.
- Ozil was talking to United, just hours before his £42.5m deadline day switch to Arsenal.
- Hours before the transfer window closed on deadline day Mesut Ozil could still have become a Manchester United player.
Mesut Ozil could still have become a Manchester United player hours before the transfer window closed on deadline day and the Real Madrid star made a £42.5million move to Arsenal.
The Ozil drama came at the end of a chaotic window for United and their new manager David Moyes in which the Premier League champions tried and failed with a scattergun approach to signing some of Europe’s top midfielders.
Sportsmail can reveal the Germany star's father and adviser Mustafa is taking legal action against an agent over what he claims is a forged mandate offering his son to United on August 7.
However, a genuine mandate signed by him was presented to the club in mid-August but United decided not to go ahead with the deal after taking 48 hours to consider the offer.
It is understood Moyes was looking for a midfield general and was not convinced Ozil’s style fitted the type of domineering player he needed.
United were already preparing a bid for Roma’s Daniele De Rossi and also tried for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera and Ozil’s Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira on deadline day before signing Marouane Fellaini from Everton for £27m in the final hour.
It has emerged, however, that there was interest from both Real and United in reviving the Ozil deal until late on deadline day.
Even though he had passed a medical for Arsenal while on international duty in Munich and flown to London to complete the deal, there was ongoing contact between Old Trafford and the Bernabeu.
Real were prepared to sell to United as late as 8pm with Ozil understood to prefer a move to Manchester.
United did finally register an interest although it was some way short of a formal bid aimed at hijacking the Arsenal deal. But they were told that his move the Emirates was too far advanced at that stage and the offer was no longer on the table.
It was then that United made their last-minute move for Khedira – as well as Real left back Fabio Coentrao – after deciding against activating the £36m release clause in Herrera’s contract at Bilbao.
Both moves failed with Madrid pulling the plug on Coentrao’s move when their chosen replacement, Guilherme Siqueira from Granada, joined Benfica instead.
Moyes and Old Trafford chief Ed Woodward then turned to their back-up option in Fellaini and pushed through his move from Everton.
It left United supporters somewhat underwhelmed and the club under fire for failing to be more decisive about their transfer targets.
Worse still, Ozil’s magnificent start in helping Arsenal to the top of the Premier League has contrasted with Fellaini’s early appearances and United’s worst league start for 24 years, and the fact that the Belgian now faces a seven-week lay-off with a wrist injury.
However, Moyes remains determined to add two more midfielders – possibly not until next summer – with Herrera still high on his list.
