It has been revealed that midfielder, Mesut Ozil decided to sign a contract extension with Arsenal only after Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho changed his mind on him.
The 29-year-old German international has signed a new long-term deal at the Emirates and will earn £350,000-a-week.
He becomes the highest earner at Arsenal.
The Independent reports that the Red Devils decided to back away from the deal when they realised they might be able to sign Alexis Sanchez instead.
Mourinho’s intention had been to bring Ozil to Old Trafford and play him off the flank, as he did when they were together at Real Madrid, but that notion evaporated when the possibility of hijacking Manchester City’s deal for Sanchez arose.
There was also a feeling at United that Juan Mata ticks many of the same boxes as Ozil, and is similar in style, and remains a good influence within the club’s dressing room.
And with Sanchez made the highest paid player in the Premier League, it would also have been extremely difficult to take on Ozil’s wages without a mass clear-out of players.
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