Mesut Ozil Transfer Rumour Makes No Sense for Player, Manchester City or Arsenal

The January transfer window might still be 10 weeks away, but we're already seeing big names linked with potential moves as teams look to assess where they might improve over the second half of the season.

One of the recent rumours concerns Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil, whom Metro links with a £32 million move to Premier League rivals Manchester City, claiming fans are unhappy with Ozil's output.

It would certainly be a move that would shake up the top flight in England, but it also appears to be a move that makes little sense for any of the three parties involved and would be a surprise if it went through for a number of reasons.

Ozil Himself

German international Ozil has been up and down with his personal form, starting well with the Gunners after joining in 2013 but fading soon after.

After injuries and rest time, he enjoyed a good run once more, but this year hasn't seen anything approaching consistency. Far from being the player Arsenal are building the team around, Ozil has slotted into the attacking midfield roles available, whether it be centrally or from the flank.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

There have been questions and comments about his commitment, his form and his best role, but Arsenal struggled so badly last year on account of not shifting tactics that something had to give.

Having cost the club £42.5 million, can Ozil really have anything to complain about if he is played wide right—where he played in the World Cup for his national side, of course—rather than as a regular No. 10? Should he be expected to produce a lesser-quality performance because of his starting position?

"

For when Ozil returns in a few months. Tried to make it as clear as possible for Arsene. #AFC pic.twitter.com/967EHmLl7H

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) October 17, 2014"

Now aged 26, he hasn't convinced anybody that he's in the very top clutch of players in the world despite having played for Real Madrid and now Arsenal and entering his peak years. Is a move to Manchester City, with a bigger squad, expensive signings in attack and expectation of peak performances on a weekly basis going to benefit him?

Not likely. He needs to show his best form at Arsenal and regularly.

Gunners and Fans

Arsenal have something of a love-hate relationship with Manchester City: They love the big transfer fees they willingly hand out, but fans hate to see their former heroes don the sky-blue shirt and go on to far greater success.

"

Ozil to Man City. Surely they're well over their quota of useless Arsenal players?

— Stefan Bienkowski (@SBienkowski) October 22, 2014"

Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri, Bacary Sagna.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

All have moved from the Emirates to the Etihad in recent seasons, and with City finishing last season as champions and seven points ahead of the Gunners, it's not hard to see why.

Arsenal, though, need a bit of a PR reality check here. Even after all those players have departed, selling their club's record signing to the side they are trying to catch—and at a loss, according to the Metro report—would be a huge admission of inferiority.

City Setup

It's understandable in some ways that City want someone of Ozil's undoubted ability, especially for those occasions when David Silva is unavailable or if they want to play a 4-2-3-1 on a more regular basis. Even by City's standards, though, splashing out such a big sum on a player who wouldn't be first choice in attack would be a surprising move.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Aside from Silva being the natural starting playmaker, City have frequently operated with two forwards, further reducing the likelihood of Ozil getting game time.

Further, Metro reports that City boss Manuel Pellegrini wants Ozil to replace a potentially outgoing player—Yaya Toure—in January. Again, though, this makes little sense from a City perspective.

"

Yaya Toure has vowed to stay at Manchester City and says he owes it to the club's fans - http://t.co/OxX7uNQFJK pic.twitter.com/jdiII0i6Fj

— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) July 18, 2014"

While Toure does occasionally start further forward in the No. 10 role, his basic position for the reigning champions is as the more offensive of two central midfielders, sitting in at times and recycling possession even if he doesn't boss the middle of the park or work tremendously hard facing his own goal.

Ozil, of course, is patently not suited to such a role and would be used far further forward. The more likely candidate if Toure was to depart would be a Fernando-Fernandinho combination in midfield—or perhaps more game time there for James Milner.

In either scenario, Ozil looks far from what City need to boost their own domestic and European credentials, and it certainly wouldn't spell good news for either Arsenal's No. 11 or his current club.

Follow @karlmatchett