Why Özil would be a better January reinforcement than Coutinho for Barcelona

With his Arsenal contract edging closer and closer to its expiry date next summer, there is every chance Mesut Özil will be allowed to leave North London during the January transfer window. In fact, if recent reports are to be believed, then he could well be on his way to Barcelona, arch rivals of his former club Real Madrid.
 
While the Blaugrana are growing increasingly frustrated in their attempts to take Philippe Coutinho to Camp Nou from Liverpool, they could look to bring in an alternative; Mesut Özil fits the bill perfectly. The German World Cup winner would be available for close to €20 million, a fraction of the fee sought by the Merseyside club for their Brazilian midfielder. With several key positions in Ernesto Valverde’s squad still needing to be strengthened, they would be much better off not blowing their entire budget on one player.
 
From a footballing perspective, Özil is just as good a fit for Barcelona’s style of play as Coutinho. He showed on Saturday afternoon against Tottenham that he remains a world class player with the ball at his feet, and is capable of creating a yard of space for himself when there seemingly isn’t any to be found. Players of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez’s calibre would surely relish the chance to play alongside such a man with such an ingenious football brain.