Mikael Silvestre claims Manchester United do not need Arsenal contract rebel Mesut Ozil

Ex-Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre does not believe the Red Devils need to sign Mesut Ozil and claims that the Gunners contract rebel would need to alter his attitude in order to fit in at Old Trafford under the management of Jose Mourinho.

The oft-maligned Ozil has just eight months left to run on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and reports suggest that he is holding out for an annual wage packet of approximately £17.1m ($22.5m) after supposedly rejecting an offer worth £275,000-a-week.

An unnamed source recently told The Sun that such claims were false and that the player was "angry that people are briefing against him and feels there seems to be some sort of campaign against him".

Inter Milan and Besiktas have both been linked with a potential swoop for Ozil, while rumours over a possible switch to United gained serious traction last week amid multiple reports that he had told friends that he expects the club to swoop for him when his deal expires next summer.

Such a move would see the German international reunite with Mourinho, under whom he played during a three-year stint with Real Madrid between 2010-13. However, Silvestre evidently does not think he would last long back playing for his former boss without an on-pitch attitude adjustment.

"I think he would have to change his attitude. I think it's mainly when the team loses the ball," he told beIN Sports. "The first seconds in reaction, that's when the coaches want you to get up and try to recover as quickly as possible. Be the first man to block and try to stop the opposition.

"And his transition sometimes, he looks like 'okay we lost the ball now I've got to run back and okay I'm going to do it because I'm Arsenal'. Sometimes it looks like he's not interested, so at United that wouldn't last long - especially with Jose."

Silvestre also questioned the wisdom involved in United pursuing Ozil when they have already have two players in Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata who perform similar roles.

"If you can put players into categories, I would put him in the [same] category as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata, so you already have two players like this," he added.

"Technical, good vision, proper playmakers. So why would you sign another one? You don't need to pile these type of players."

Ozil provided his best performance for some time during Arsenal's win over Everton on Sunday, scoring a pinpoint header and also teeing up record signing Alexandre Lacazette during a 5-2 Premier League romp at Goodison Park.

Agent Erkut Sogut has insisted that contract talks with the 29-year-old are progressing in a positive fashion despite suggestions of an impasse and Wenger said after that weekend win that such a "superb" display made it difficult to believe the speculation regarding his future.