Paper Round: Mesut Ozil wants the shirt off Jack Wilshere's back to stay on at Arsenal

The Sun reported on Wednesday that Mesut Ozil has told Arsenal he will leave the club for free in the summer unless he is handed over Jack Wilshere’s No.10 shirt. Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season and his future has been the subject of intense speculation for many months. The 29-year-old midfielder, who currently wears the No.11 shirt, apparently hopes to boost his earning capacity by clinching the jersey, which is apparently linked to his “brand.”

Paper Round’s view: We’d be surprised if Ozil’s focus wasn’t on his salary but nonetheless, If we were Wilshere – who’s contract is also up at the end of the season – we’d be feeling worried right now. Though you might be of the school of thought that The Emirates is not the place for Wilshere to shine.

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Jose Mourinho is said to be involved in a transfer stand-off with the Manchester United board as it was reported he would not be allowed to spend more money in the January transfer window. The Sun reports that Mourinho will not be permitted to add to his £285 million worth of signings since joining the club unless he sells players first, as his wage bill spirals out of control and the gap between United and league table toppers Manchester City continues to grow.

Paper Round’s view: This would not be the end of the world for Mourinho given the value added by recent January transfer acquisitions in the Premier League. The winter transfer window has become synonymous with underwhelming and regrettable life choices, but even if Jose does want to flash the cash, there must be some dead wood he would be willing to part with at this stage in his tenure…

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Reports on Wednesday suggest Juan Mata could be on his way out of Old Trafford and back to La Liga. According to The Express, Real Madrid hope that their one-time player might return in January to “spark fresh impetus” into their underwhelming season. With Mata’s contract up in the summer, United are said to be interested in taking bids for the 29-year-old in the January transfer window.

Paper Round’s view: Mata left Chelsea under Mourinho and has seemed a likely candidate for a departure for some time now. Having struggled to get playing time at United under Mourinho and not even making the squad for their recent Chelsea clash, that theme continues. However, whether Real would want Mata and whether he would fare any better at the Bernabeu remains up for debate.

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Slaven Bilic’s week is said to have gotten worse after his sacking by West Ham on Monday. According to The Mirror, the former Croatia international personally called his former players to ask for feedback on where it had all gone wrong. A one-time-Hammer himself, Bilic was apparently told he wasn’t tough enough, and did not run quality training sessions. Ouch.

Paper Round’s view: Whatever went on at the London Stadium over the last season and a bit, it’s definitely gone very wrong somewhere. But is David Moyes the man to fix it? Well, maybe not, according to David Sullivan…

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