Arsenal Transfer News: Sami Khedira Race Nearly Won, Claims Schalke Chairman

Schalke 04 are growing increasingly confident Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira will join the Bundesliga outfit on a free transfer, all but ending the hopes of Arsenal and other rival suitors in their own pursuit of the World Cup winner.

The midfielder and Schalke have reportedly been discussing a move for a while now, and as reported by ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld, club chairman Clemens Tonnies thinks his club is positioned perfectly to bring him in, as he told SportBild:

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It's my impression that Khedira wants to return to the Bundesliga by all means. I believe he does not doubt that for a second. I believe that there aren't too many clubs in Germany coming into question.

The person he is, he'd be a great fit here. He is a leader, a fighter. But it's also a fact that we won't go haywire.

"

Earlier this week, the Gelsenkirchen outfit confirmed talks were ongoing, via AS English:

Khedira himself refused to deny or confirm his interest in joining the side, via Uersfeld: "Am I open to Schalke? I am open to many teams."

As reported by the Daily Mirror's Paul Gorst, the Gunners and Manchester United have been linked with a move for the 27-year-old for some time now, with both eyeing a free transfer with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Khedira's career in the Spanish capital has been held back by frequent injuries—his history reads like something from a horror film, via transfermarkt.com—but he proved to be a very valuable contributor when healthy.

He was one of Germany's top performers at the 2014 World Cup, and as a result, there has been plenty of speculation regarding his future. Despite his lengthy injury history, the soon-to-be free agent will be a wanted man, as evidenced by recent activity in the Italian media, per Sport Witness:

Khedira is often labelled a defensive midfielder, but his particular set of skills is difficult to define. He's not overly physical, despite his strong build—instead, he finds success using his vision, breaking down passing lanes and he's more of a distributor moving forward.

Bleacher Report's James McNicholas recently broke down where Arsenal could use the funds of a hypothetical Mesut Ozil sale and, predictably, the holding midfielder position was one of the first that came up:

Up until the recent emergence of Francis Coquelin, plenty was written about the Gunners' lack of a quality holding midfielder. Khedira was often mentioned as an option, despite the fact he's less of a defensive enforcer and more of a finesse player in the centre.

All signs now point to the German moving back to his country of birth, however, where he'll likely receive a hero's welcome from most. Not all, mind you—legendary defender Franz Beckenbauer was highly critical of the move, as shared by Goal:

The move is far from a done deal, and several factors will still come into play before Khedira puts pen to paper. Schalke will likely have to qualify for the Champions League, and if they fail, there's a good chance the midfielder will change his mind, per Uersfeld.

Likewise, it's unclear exactly which clubs are serious about their interest in Khedira. Schalke have a good team, but if one of Europe's top clubs were to present an offer, it's possible Khedira would be tempted.

Schalke look like the strong favourites to land Khedira, but as of right now, the race is far from over.  

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