'Buy Ozil? We didn't need him', says Moyes as United boss reveals he almost signed Ramsey for Everton

David Moyes cast his eye over the hub of the Arsenal midfield that could blow Manchester United’s title chances away on Sunday afternoon and offered some regret that he didn’t sign one central figure but absolutely none that he passed on another.\

Moyes revealed yesterday that in 2008 he had Aaron Ramsey sitting in front of him in his living room only for the Cardiff youngster to choose Sunday’s opponents over Everton.

Interestingly, the United boss also confirmed for the first time that he was invited to join the bidding for Mesut Ozil this summer, only to decline.

Key men: Manchester United boss David Moyes turned down the chance to bid for Mesut Ozil (left) but did attempt to sign Aaron Ramsey (right) for Everton in 2008

Gunning for United: Ozil (left) and Ramsey (right) look set to start for Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday

No regrets: Moyes did not see a space for Ozil in his United squad this season

‘Yeah, I was very close to signing Ramsey at Everton,’ said Moyes.
‘I had him in my house and Arsenal beat me to it.

‘As regards Ozil, we weren’t close to buying him but something was mooted (to us). We didn’t need that position at the time. It was put to us and it was just something at the time we didn’t need.

‘We had Shinji Kagawa and Wayne (Rooney) and people of a similar ilk so it wasn’t quite what we required at that time. We were looking at different positions.’

Strength in depth: Moyes sees Shinji Kagawa (left) and Wayne Rooney (below) as similar options to Ozil

With United’s midfield in such obvious need of upholstery and Moyes’s only summer signing, Marouane Fellaini, taking time to settle in, eyebrows will no doubt be raised that the defending Barclays Premier League champions chose not to get involved in the scramble for Ozil once Real Madrid decided to place him on the market in August.

Certainly, it’s not that difficult to see Ozil and Rooney playing in the same team, for example, but that is perhaps a debate for another time.

Right now, Moyes and his players need to work out a way to prevent the country’s most creative and dynamic midfield hitting the right notes tomorrow.
United have done it many times before, of course. Wenger has been bringing good players to Old Trafford for years but the last time any of them left with a victory was in September 2006.

Tough place to go: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (left) had a poor record against former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson (right) at Old Trafford

Perhaps that is why Ryan Giggs, who has been facing Arsenal for 20 years, was so dismissive of their supposed status as favourites when he spoke yesterday.
‘They have certainly started the season well but over the years we have played against some very good Arsenal teams,’ Giggs said.

‘You know what you’re going to get, they’re going to keep the ball, they have got plenty of quality and they are in good form.
‘They had a great win in the week against Dortmund so we are going to be up against it but at Old Trafford we are always confident, no matter who we are playing.’\

For all the uncertainty of some of their performances so far this season, United are now unbeaten in eight games in all competitions. Key to their chances tomorrow will perhaps be their ability to get and then keep the ball, as obvious as that may sound.

Defiant: Ryan Giggs is confident of victory against the Gunners, despite their strong start to the season

United still look a more than capable side when they have possession and the Wayne Rooney/Robin van Persie partnership has rarely, if ever, looked more potent.
Nevertheless, they look as vulnerable without the ball as they do dangerous with it and United supporters can only hope that their best central ball player, Michael Carrick, comes through a fitness test on his sore achilles.

Elsewhere, there is unlikely to be a starting berth for Ashley Young on Sunday but that has nothing to do with allegations of cheating aimed at the winger in the wake of Tuesday’s Champions League draw at Real Sociedad. 

Young has been warned already this season by his manager about falling over too easily but yesterday Moyes had only mixed messages to offer.

Going down: Ashley Young takes a tumble against Real Sociedad earlier this week

Support: Moyes believes Young deserved a penalty and didn't dive against the Spanish side

‘I was in the dug-out and thought it looked a penalty kick,’ said Moyes. ‘So I think the attention should be on the referee and not Ashley.\

‘Having seen it again I think that’s why I have been one of the ones who has quite often said that we should have retrospective action for diving.

‘We should look at it for that decision. But I think you’ve got it wrong, I don’t think it’s Ashley Young, I think it’s the referee. So that reputation (for diving) is wrong, isn’t it?’