With Wayne Rooney on his way out of the team, D.C. United aren’t wasting time in their search to find a proper replacement. With just months left before his departure, the club has scheduled talks with the London-based Premier League club Arsenal, considering a possible signing of their star player Mesut Özil.
British media are reporting that negotiation teams from the two clubs will be meeting in the US capital and will discuss the terms of a possible agreement. If they negotiate a move in January when Rooney is scheduled to leave United, Özil will be leaving his current club with more than 18 months left on his contract which expires in 2021.
The main possible problem that the MLS side can face in the process of negotiations is the huge weekly wage of $425,000 that Özil is currently earning in Arsenal, especially considering the fact that Rooney was paid almost $103,000 a week which is more than four times less.
There are reports claiming that in case of a negative outcome during the negotiations with Özil, the second contender for the spot can be the free agent Mario Balotelli.
