Euro transfer news – Real Madrid complete Khedira capture
Published:Real Madrid have completed the signing of Germany’s World Cup midfielder Sami Khedira, for an undisclosed fee from Bundesliga side Stuttgart.
Khedira, a box-to-box central midfielder who can operate as a holding or attacking player, has signed a five-year contract at the Bernabeu.
Khedira is Jose Mourinho’s second major signing, after Argentina winger Angel Di Maria arrived from Benfica for £25m.
Real are 4/1 to win the Champions League this season, and Khedira will be a welcome addition to a midfield which already boasts the talents of Xabi Alonso and Rafael Van Der Vaart.
Mourinho is one of only three managers to have won Europe’s top prize with two different clubs, and the former Inter boss will be hoping to rubber-stamp his footballing immortality with a third Champions League crown with Real.
With club stalwarts Raul and Guti leaving after a combined 31 years at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid are undergoing a rigorous rebuilding process.
And with Barcelona somewhat quieter in the transfer market, Mourinho’s men will be confident of winning their first La Liga crown since 2008 at evens.
Khedira is unlikely to be Mourinho’s final signing of the summer, as Real continue to court another German midfielder to star in South Africa, Mesut Ozil.
Werder Bremen, Ozil’s current club, insist that they have yet to receive a bid for the prodigiously talented 21-year-old, though a bid in excess of £16m would probably be enough to prize him away.
Who will be Real’s closest rivals for the Champions League? Chelsea are 6/1 contenders. See the full UEFA Champions League Betting Odds market.
