In demand: Ozil is being courted by a number of
clubs
Real Madrid are once again ready to twist the knife into
Roman Abramovich's grand plans with an £18million move for
Germany's World Cup star Mesut Ozil.
The 21-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder is the most coveted
player in Europe, but Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has made a bold
move to line up Ozil, plus his national team-mates Sami Khedira of
Stuttgart and Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich, for a combined
£58million.
Not satisfied with wrecking Chelsea's Champions League dream
with Inter Milan last season, the former Stamford Bridge darling is
destined to leave his old employer bristling with envy once
again.
The fall-out at Real Madrid will be intriguing. As Sportsmail
revealed last month, the entrance door for Liverpool's Steven
Gerrard no longer seems ajar as Madrid president Florentino Perez
demands younger players of better value.
Chelsea targets Kaka and Rafael van der Vaart may be heading for
the exit. With Khedira to come, Xabi Alonso pivotal and Angel Di
Maria competing with Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing, there will be
little room for manoeuvre.
Chelsea may have little desire to take scraps from the Real
Madrid table but Kaka is no mere crumb of comfort while Van der
Vaart still has plenty to offer as one of his fans, Chelsea
director of football Frank Arnesen, will testify.
When Ozil left Gareth Barry and Co floundering during their
World Cup humiliation, England took notice.
Abramovich was transfixed and decided then this was the player
Chelsea had to have. A devout Muslim of Turkish descent, Ozil's
quick feet and speed of thought have long marked him out as a star.
Bremen thought as much when they splashed out £4million for him as
an 18-year-old - a record German sum for a teenager.
Stars out: Kaka and Van der Vaart are not part of
Mourinho's plan for Real Madrid
'He's like a ghost, the way he arrives into the box
unnoticed,' said one Manchester United scout. Yet it seems the
obvious luxuries and the allure of the Premier League are not
enough for the wunderkind from Gelsenkirchen.
Arsenal have watched him for two years; Manchester City, of
course, were interested; Manchester United asked to be kept
informed - having first courted him as a teenager - but Ozil, the
self-confessed Barcelona fan who Franz Beckenbauer compares to
Lionel Messi, has instead set his sights on becoming the new idol
of the Bernabeu.
All eyes are now on Ozil and his fellow Germans to see which way
they jump. Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs says he has not
given up the 'ghost' but Madrid insiders claim the deal is
close.
Allofs said: 'I have been told by the newspapers about these
reports. But I insist that we have received no enquiries or offers
for the player.
'We remain in regular contact with Mesut and his agent. We had
our ideas but we have not been able to bring this to an end. We are
not angry, no way. We intend to keep on trying.'
It looks like the Special One has beaten everyone to it.
