'Special' Mesut Ozil is more attacking than Zinedine Zidane, claims Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Wenger also suggests that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in better form than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with French TV
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Your support makes all the difference.The impact felt of Arsenal’s record signing Mesut Ozil has been nothing short of meteoric, with a renewed belief circulating around the Emirates Stadium that they could finally end their barren run of eight seasons without a trophy this year.
There has been widespread praise for the German, whose start to life in the Premier League has been a comfortable one, and his manager Arsene Wenger is ready to jump on the bandwagon after claiming he possesses a greater attacking threat than legendary French midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
Speaking in an interview with French television show Telefoot, Wenger said: “Ozil has a special quality. “‘He always makes the right decision quickly.
“He is a [more attacking] dribbler than Zidane – they have a similar form of technical ease and similar humility.”
Since his deadline day arrival, £42.5m signing Ozil has become an integral cog in the Gunners side, scoring twice and laying on four assists for his team-mates in seven Premier League starts.
Wenger has also explained how he had to fend off serious competition from French champions Paris St-Germain to land the 25-year-old, but says that for him it was the visit of Ozil to Wenger’s house that swayed his decision.
“PSG wanted Ozil but I had an advantage because I’d already had that contact [when trying to sign the player three years previously],” Wenger revealed.
“He came to my house and he decided quickly. The first contact [with Ozil] happened at my place, for discretion. He decided in 24 hours.”
Wenger also waded in on the debate over who is the world’s best player at present, although chose to take the rather surprising decision of avoiding both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. With the Ballon d’Or shortlist being named last week – Messi was installed instantly as hot favourite to make it five wins in a row – Wenger believes that PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is actually in better form than the other two.
“Is Zlatan better than Messi and Ronaldo?” Wenger asked. “Right now, I’d say he is. At 32, you know how to get the best from your talent.”
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