Manchester United still want Arsenal's Mesut Ozil as Jean Michael Seri emerges as main target

Manchester United still want to sign Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil on a free transfer this summer despite already pilfering Alexis Sanchez from Arsene Wenger's side, though the Germany international is likely to command wages north of £300,000-a-week.

Jose Mourinho's side were credited with an interest in the former Real Madrid midfielder earlier this season and were even rumoured to be considering a January move for the 29-year-old, who is in the last knockings of his contract at The Emirates Stadium.

United are well-stocked in attack following the arrival of Sanchez, who was replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Arsenal, but the Old Trafford outfit still have designs on luring Ozil to the north west amid uncertainty over the future of Juan Mata.

Arsenal are still hopeful of tying Ozil down to a new contract in the next few months, but United are more likely to be able to offer the prospect of Champions League football and a better chance of winning the Premier League, something the former Werder Bremen star has failed to do since arriving in England in the summer of 2013.

A deal for Ozil may be on Mourinho's wishlist ahead of the summer, but bolstering United's central midfield options is the Portuguese's top priority, according to the Independent.

The powers that be at Old Trafford are confident they will be able to seal deals for Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler and Borussia Dortmund's Julian Weigl, but Nice's Jean-Michael Seri is the main target for Mourinho et al, who will need to find a long-term replacement for the retiring Michael Carrick.

Seri was close to joining Barcelona in the summer for €41m but the Blaugrana pulled out of a deal in the last minute, enraging both the Ivorian and his club in the process. Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton are admirers of the 26-year-old, but United are intent on beating their Premier League rivals to his signature.