Real Madrid (Evs to win 2010-11 La Liga title) have agreed a deal with Werder Bremen to sign Mesut Ozil and look set to beat Manchester United to his signature.
The Germany international has become one of the hottest properties in European football after an impressive World Cup this summer.
Despite saying that he planned to stay with Werder until the end of the season, Ozil has been at the centre of speculation over his future since the tournament ended in South Africa.
United and Barcelona have both been strongly linked with moves for the 21-year-old, but it looks like Real have beaten them to the punch after reaching an agreement with his current club.
The Bundesliga side rejected a bid from Real earlier this summer, but its now thought that a fee in the region of £12million has been agreed.
With Ozil due to run out of contract next summer, Werder were at risk of losing their prized asset for free at the end of the season and that has led to them, reluctantly, agreeing to sell.
Werder (7/1 to win 2010-11 Bundesliga title), though, had forced Real to push through a deal after their manager, Klaus Allofs, threatened to play Ozil in Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier against Sampdoria.
Jose Mourinho will see the forward as a key player in Real’s battle to lift Europe’s top club trophy (Real 4/1 to win 2010-11 Champions League) and would not have wanted the German international cup-tied.
Real have now confirmed the deal, with a short statement on their website saying: “Real Madrid and Werder Bremen have reached an agreement for the transfer of Mesut Ozil.
“His unique touch, unmatched individual technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make the German midfielder one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football.”
Ozil will undergo a medical in the Spanish capital on Tuesday evening and it is unlikely that personal terms will be an issue for the forward.
The 21-year-old will join fellow Germany (3/10 to win Euro 2012 Qualifying Group A) international Sami Khedira at the Bernabeu, after the midfielder moved to Madrid from Stuttgart earlier this summer.
Ozil will become the sixth major signing of the summer by Real, who have already captured Khedira, Ricardo Carvalho, Angel di Maria and Spanish duo Pedro Leon and Sergio Canales.
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Stuttgart have revealed that midfielder Sami Khedira is poised to join Real Madrid (4/1 to win 2010-11 Champions League), after the two clubs agreed a deal.
Jose Mourinho has signed a four-year contract to become the new manager of Real Madrid – and described his challenge of returning the club to the top in Spain and in Europe as “a big one” (check out ante-post football markets on totesport.com).
Club president Florentino Perez is convinced Jose Mourinho is the right man to take Real Madrid back to the summit of Spanish and European football (check out ante-post football betting opportunities on totesport.com).
Although it has not been made official yet, it is no secret that José Mourinho will be managing Real Madrid next season in what can only be bad news for Barcelona as Mourinho has developed a taste for victory over the Catalan side.
went some way to repaying the huge transfer fee Real Madrid payed for him in the summer with a dazzling display against a very decent Real Mallorca side.
It took a goal in the 89th minute on Sunday night from Ronaldo to edge Real Madrid past an Osasuna side they were expected to beat comfortably. After that scare the trip to Mallorca is now looking an even more difficult obstacle in the way of los Blanco’s La Liga quest.
We are now into the final strait of the La Liga season and the title race couldn’t be much tighter. Barcelona are out in front but only just as they have Real Madrid breathing firmly down their neck, this one looks like going down to the wire.