Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Injury Setback Should Signal Sami Khedira Exit

Sami Khedira recently underwent surgery on his knee and will reportedly be sidelined for six weeks, and following his latest injury setback, Real Madrid have to entertain transfer offers for the German international.

As reported by Metro, Khedira, who was already sidelined with a left hamstring issue, underwent the surgery in Germany and won't be expected to return to the pitch until late October. The club released the following statement, via Metro:

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Sami Khedira, who is currently out injured with a left hamstring problem, has undergone an arthroscopic revision on his left knee.

The procedure went successfully and was conducted by Dr. Ulrich Boenisch at the Hessingpark Clinic in Augsburg with the supervision of Dr. Jesús Olmo.

The player will continue to be treated by the Sanitas Real Madrid Medical Services in the next few days.

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This latest injury is one in a long line for Khedira. According to Transfermarkt.com, the German midfielder hasn't been injury-free since the 2008-09 season, and when he finally recovers from this latest surgery, he will have spent a total of 102 matches on the sidelines in that period.

That's an astounding number, and one that would more than justify giving Khedira the label of being injury-prone.

When healthy, the holding midfielder is one of the finest players in the world at the position. His blend of vision, technique, passing and physicality is almost unmatched, a reason why Arsenal were reportedly keen on bringing him in during the summer, per Metro.

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But he can't be counted on to stay healthy. And following the departure of Xabi Alonso, that is a major problem for Los Blancos.

Asier Illarramendi is the only other true defensive specialist currently in the squad, and he hardly boasts the same quality Khedira does. The young Spaniard is talented but inexperienced, and he'll likely never be a world-class option.

Toni Kroos is the designated starter at the position, but the German is more of a distributor than a defender. While that's fine in Carlo Ancelotti's system, there will be times Real are in need of a more physical presence (hence the inclusion of both Khedira and Illarramendi in the squad).

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As previously mentioned, Arsenal were keen on signing Khedira during the summer. It's time for Los Blancos to take them up on that offer and seek his replacement. Khedira is still a great player, and he will undoubtedly hold some value on the open market.

A sale of Khedira could help finance the purchase of a new, healthy holding midfielder like William Carvalho, who is openly being shopped by his current club, Sporting Lisbon, per Daily Express writer Ben Jefferson.

There's no denying losing Khedira would weaken Los Blancos in the short run, although OptaJose knows he may not have had the impact people might have expected in 2013-14:

But Real simply can't count on the midfielder anymore. Per Transfermarkt.com, the severity of his injuries appears to be on the rise as well, with his latest two having sidelined him the longest.

If Khedira can return near the end of October and prove that he's healthy and back to his old self before January, the offers will come. Ancelotti and Real president Florentino Perez will be tempted to hold onto their star, but they shouldn't. It's time to start looking to the future, and Khedira shouldn't be a part of it.

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