Mesut Ozil to Manchester United? Ray Wilkins reveals the reason Mourinho will not sign Arsenal star

Former Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins remains confident that Mesut Ozil will not join his former club despite being linked with a move either in January or next summer when his contract with Arsenal expires.

The Germany international will enter the final six months of his deal with the Gunners at the end of December and it does not look like he will sign an extension before the end of the campaign.

Ozil has been linked with a move to United to reunite with his former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, while Barcelona have also been linked with the German. The Catalans are willing to pay the midfielder the £350,000-a-week wages that he is demanding.

The 29-year-old will be able to talk to clubs outside England from January onwards and could agree a pre-contract before moving on a free transfer next summer. Arsene Wenger is still hopeful of tying down the German to a new deal, and revealed recently that talks are still ongoing between the player and the club.

Wilkins believes Arsenal should have sold Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who is also in the final-year of his contract in the summer and criticised the club for allowing Wenger to make the decision to keep them and cost the club millions in fees. The French coach revealed in October that the duo could leave in January, but has since changed his stance and made it clear that they will remain until the end of the season.

The former Chelsea midfielder also remains confident that Mourinho will not sign Ozil for United as the German does not have the 'work ethic' that the Portuguese looks for in his players. The Arsenal midfielder has been in fine form in recent games, especially in the north London derby, but Wilkins feels that his lack of consistency will cost him a potential move to Old Trafford.

"I find it quite sad that the club have allowed Arsene Wenger to take the stance of not selling them, potentially costing the club £120million in fees that they're now not getting."

"Mesut Ozil won't go to Old Trafford because he doesn't have the work ethic that Mourinho looks for in his players," Wilkins told Sporting Bet. "Ozil needs to go back to Germany, enjoy his football again and get around the pitch as he likes doing.

"In the Premier League, you're expected to work hard defensively for your team, and I don't think Mesut does that enough. Against Spurs, he was excellent in doing that, tracking Christian Eriksen, but he needs to do that every game, it can't be one game in 20."