On Thursday, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed that Argentine winger Angel Di Maria no longer wants to be at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That’s not quite the case with Sami Khedira but the midfielder has rejected a new contract offer, according to Ancelotti.
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Khedira, a World Cup winner with Germany this summer, has just one year left on his current Real Madrid deal and is refusing to put pen to paper and sign a new one. News of that will have alerted many of Europe’s top teams as the former Stuttgart midfielder is a powerhouse in midfield and was a key component in Real’s UEFA Champions League success last term.
With Luka Modric signing a new long-term contract with Real on Wednesday, plus the summer arrivals of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos, Khedira may find it hard to hold down a regular place in the starting lineup for the Spanish giants this term.
Speaking about Khedira’s situation, Ancelotti said the following in a press conference on Thursday.
If Khedira remains a Real Madrid player this season, he runs the risk of being on the outside looking in. How will Ancelotti keep him in his squad if he doesn’t know Khedira’s commitment levels to the club? Plus the German international could leave for absolutely nothing next season as a free agent, but Real could still cash in on the 27-year-old this summer for around $20-25 million.
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Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with Khedira all summer and you would think the Gunners have the upper hand with German internationals Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski all on board. Plus, they are crying out for a destructive central midfielder at the Emirates.
This situation is an intriguing one, as Khedira is quite happy to run down the final year of his contract and start negotiating with new clubs from January 2015 onwards, but Real clearly want the situation resolved one way or another. Right now, the most likely option seems to be Khedira moving before the transfer window slams shut on Sept. 1.