Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira recently gave the biggest indication that he will be leaving the Spanish La Liga outfit at the end of his contract this summer, saying: “I love Real Madrid and it will be hard to leave this club. I’m going to give everything for this jersey until the last day of my contract, no one should doubt that.”
The German international, 27, has been on the periphery with Los Blancos, as ongoing injury problems have limited his game time under manager Carlo Ancelotti, and his contract that is up in the summer doesn’t look likely of being renewed in time. He made over 160 appearances for Real Madrid since his 2010 move from Stuttgart, but lost his place in the side over the last 18 months, with strong competition for places keeping him on the bench.
This season, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco have been regulars in the Real midfield, which has meant Khedira has been forced to remain patient when fit. While he set the Spanish club back around £12M, and has since cost them a lot in wages, Real appear more keen to cut their losses on a player who has played just 300 minutes of La Liga football this season, and made only 12 starts domestically in 2013/14. Such inactivity has unsurprisingly seen him fall down the pecking order with the Spaniards.
Despite such injury problems, Khedira does have a lot of interest. Reports have suggested his future has been sealed with a German club, but it’s highly unlikely he would rule out the Premier League, with Arsenal and Chelsea in the frame for the German’s signature. Arsenal, who have three fellow internationals (Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski) are keen on reinforcing the midfield, while Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho managed the 27-year-old during his three years with Real.
After being made to endured extended periods on the sidelines, and subsequently on the substitutes’ bench, Sami Khedira’s biggest aim for next season will be just to play regular first-team football. He may be prepared to take a step down to achieve this. The chance to sign a World Cup winner, Champions League winner, and multiple title-winner for free in the summer will be too good to pass up. When fit, he’s regarded as one of the better box-to-box midfielders in Europe, while boasting a wealth of experience at the highest level.
But will the Premier League get to see Khedira in action?
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