The Transfer Options Available to Sami Khedira Upon Leaving Real Madrid
Sami Khedira confirmed on Thursday that he will leave Real Madrid when his contract at the Bernabeu expires at the end of the season.
“It’s not a decision against Real Madrid,” he told Kicker (h/t the Guardian). “I want to start a new stage in my career and continue to grow.”
Khedira has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with interested parties since January 1 but indicated that he is yet to reach an agreement with any club.
Per the report, Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all interested in the Germany international. Bundesliga side Schalke revealed earlier this month, per Bild (h/t Marca), that they had held talks with him.
In addition, Cadena Ser (h/t Marca) previously linked the midfielder with a move to Bayern Munich.
Here is a run down of the options reportedly available to Khedira this summer.
Schalke 04
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Schalke recently confirmed that they have held talks with Khedira over the possibility of him joining the club on a free transfer in the summer.
And the club’s chairman, Clemens Tonnies, suggested earlier this month that the midfielder has his heart set on a return to Germany.
“It’s my impression that Khedira wants to return to the Bundesliga by all means,” he told Sport Bild (h/t ESPN FC). “I believe he does not doubt that for a second.”
Tonnies also stated that the club are unlikely to face much domestic competition for Khedira’s signature.
It is a move that would make a good deal of sense.
Schalke have a relatively young squad, with youth-team graduates such as Julian Draxler (21), Leon Goretzka (20), Leroy Sane (19), Max Meyer (19) and Timon Wellenreuther (19) likely to play a big role in any success they are to have over the next few years.
The addition of a Champions League and World Cup winner would add some much needed experience to the group.
Coach Roberto Di Matteo would certainly welcome a player of Khedira’s stature. “We all know he’s a great player,” he said in an interview with the German media (h/t ESPN FC) in February. “If he wants to come, the door is open. He’s a world-class player.”
Chelsea
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Jose Mourinho was the coach who brought Sami Khedira to Real Madrid in 2010, shortly after his own arrival from Internazionale.
And Simon Jones of the Daily Mail reported last summer that the Portuguese manager was interested in reuniting with the midfielder at Chelsea.
Jones wrote at the time that Khedira would request £150,000 a week to move to Stamford Bridge, while the club were said to be content to wait until he became available on a free transfer.
There have been few fresh reports of interest from the Blues since then, but if they have made contact, then they would represent a solid option for Khedira.
He would get to experience the football and culture of another country under the guidance of a coach with whom he has an existing relationship.
Arsenal or Manchester United
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It is not often that a midfielder as decorated as Khedira becomes available on a free transfer aged just 27. It is therefore unsurprising that top Premier League clubs are showing an interest in him.
Arsenal and Manchester United are among those to have been linked to the midfielder. For the Gunners, he would seem to represent a cost-efficient solution to their long-standing lack of physicality in the centre of the pitch.
It would, however, be a highly questionable decision for two sides whose injury records have been among the worst in the Premier League this season, per Injury League, to go after a player with such a poor fitness history.
Per Soccerway, Khedira has failed to start more than 20 league matches in each campaign since joining Real Madrid in 2010. He suffered a serious knee ligament injury last season that kept him out of action for nearly six months.
He has also struggled with recurring thigh problems throughout the current campaign.
While he would seem to be an attractive option for both Arsenal and Manchester United on paper, his contract would have to be structured in such a way as to protect them in light of likely absences through injury.
Whether he would accept such an agreement is open to conjecture.
Bayern Munich
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Bayern Munich have been the club most readily linked to Khedira in the Spanish press.
Cadena Ser (h/t Marca) even reported that an agreement between the midfielder and the German champions had been reached as far back as last November. Bayern quickly refuted that rumour, and it is indeed difficult to see where the 27-year-old would fit in at the Allianz Arena.
Pep Guardiola already has Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez, Sebastian Rode, Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso as senior midfield options—not to mention Philipp Lahm and David Alaba, both of whom are more than capable of playing in the centre of the pitch. Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze have also both taken up positions usually reserved for midfielders in the 4-1-4-1 formation Bayern have used at times this season.
Youth-team graduates Gianluca Gaudino and Mitchell Weiser have also received sporadic minutes, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will return from his loan spell at Augsburg at the end of the current campaign.
Therefore, it seems unlikely that an injury-prone midfielder such as Khedira would be one of their priorities this summer.
Italy
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J.I. Garcia-Ochoa of Marca reported on Wednesday that a number of unnamed Italian teams have expressed an interest in Khedira.
Per Tancredi Palmeri, Italian media reports in February suggested that AC Milan had made contact with the midfielder’s agent.
A move to Italy would represent an interesting option for Khedira. But with higher wages and more chance of success likely to be available to him in England or Germany, it remains an outside bet.
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