According to El Confidencial, Spain’s leading online newspaper, European Champions’ League winners, Real Madrid are set to quicken a deal to bring VfL Wolfsburg and Brazilian defensive midfielder, Luiz Gustavo, to the Bernabeu as a replacement for Sami Khedira, who has reportedly held talks with Arsenal about his move away from Spain.
The report says the Spanish giants have already contacted the powerful midfielder and his club Wolfsburg, and are ready to make the Brazilian their fourth signing of the summer should Khedira leave.
El Confidencial’s report also says the German, has just been offered the chance to extend his existing contract beyond next summer as the manager Carlo Ancelotti, is desperate to have him in his squad next term.
Sami Khedira, however, seems to have his sight on a London switch and uninterested in extending his existing contract, as reports from England are saying that he has agreed to join Chelsea, another London side, for free next summer.
Earlier in the summer, Real Madrid was reported to have agreed a transfer fee of £27m with Arsenal for the services of the German player. The deal was said to have stalled on personal terms level, with the player demanding £150,000-a-week, a fee Arsenal were not willing to pay.
Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez is keen on restoring the Galacticos era that saw a star-studded side with the likes of Raul Gonzalez, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham and has already made funds available this summer to secure the signings of James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Keylor Navas to the tune of approximately £100m.
In the club’s tradition, profit are not necessarily made from players’ sale, as the funds from sales do not measure up, but may subsidize funds used in acquiring players.
Therefore, the club this summer will either persuade Khedira to sign a contract extension beyond next term or cash-in on him and use funds from the deal to mitigate the funds made available for the trio.
With only a year left on his existing deal, the financially reasonable thing for the Spanish giants to do is to make a deal with a club willing to meet Real Madrid’s valuation of him and hope that the player agrees personal terms with the same club.
However, the club is wise to make plans for a situation whereby Sami Khedira refuses to sign a contract extension, in bringing another defensive midfielder in the stature of Luis Gustavo in.
This increases the chance of luring Sami Khedira, who reportedly lowered his wage demand from his initial £150,000-a-week to £134,000 weekly, to Arsenal.
The Gunners manager is believed to be keen on having a formidable holding midfielder in his squad this summer and enquiries are said to have been made for alternatives like William Carvalho and Morgan Schneiderlin.
However, the Arsenal boss failed to either admit or dismiss whether his club is in talks to bring Khedira in.
He was quizzed at a press conference before the 5-1 Emirates Cup win over Benfica on Saturday.
For Arsenal, Gustavo to Real Madrid makes Khedira’s option even more limited because whether the Brazilian signs for Real Madrid or not, Khedira’s playing time would be seriously reduced with the signing of younger compatriot, Toni Kroos.
These events would be more interesting as the days go by!
