Manchester United May Rue Not Signing Mesut Ozil

Mesut Özil's deadline day move to Arsenal shocked football.

It was a shock that Real Madrid were willing to let him go. It was a shock that Arsene Wenger, often so frugal, had spent such a huge sum of money. But that Özil had chosen Arsenal was perhaps the biggest surprise of all.

It's easy to forget that Arsenal can still pull in the big names, but that's what eight years without a trophy does.

Özil is the latest in a long line of stars to head to Arsenal at the peak of their careers, which also includes Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars and Thierry Henry. But there is still some disbelief that he hasn't been lured somewhere else.

Manchester United were in the market for a midfielder this summer.

Özil isn't the type of player David Moyes seemed to have his eye on, looking instead to a sign an out-and-out central midfielder in the mould of Cesc Fabregas or Marouane Fellaini.

But the German international is such a huge talent that he can be accommodated in even the strongest squads. Moyes already has two No. 10s at Old Trafford in Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa.

But, according to Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News, he's already contemplating a team in which one of them will have to play out of position and perhaps didn't think he could fit Özil in as well.

Such is Özil's ability to glide through defences and create a goal with a delicate pass that Arsenal are now being considered genuine title contenders.

And, as Mathieson writes, Moyes will feel his chances of lifting a first Premier League title have been boosted by the arrival of his new signing, Fellaini.

But that won't stop United fans from looking enviously at the Emirates when Özil runs out for the first time. They can only hope Moyes doesn't regret not showing any interest come May.