Manchester United are targeting Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira as a January signing. The 27-year old is out of contract next summer and could leave the Galacticos for a meagre fee of €13m in January as reported by Goal.
The former Stuttgart man was close to signing for Arsenal this past summer but a move failed to materialize. Louis Van Gaal is set to add to his summer spree as United have struggled so far this season. Khedira will be chased by a number of clubs come January if Real’s manager Carlo Ancelotti decides to sell him before his contract runs out in the summer.
Van Gaal had identified Kevin Strootman, Toni Kroos and Arturo Vidal as targets in the summer but failed to sign any of them. Kroos made the switch to Real Madrid while Strootman and Vidal were happy at Roma and Juventus. The duo will not come cheap either as both of them still have a considerable time remaining in their contracts and are top players for their respective clubs.
Manchester United have failed to put in good defensive showings this season partly due to the absence of a recognised holding midfielder. Daley Blind was signed from Ajax to help the cause but Van Gaal has identified the need to add more quality in that position. The addition of Khedira will definitely make United a stronger unit defensively as the German is known for his tackling, passing, positioning and reading of the game.
Real Madrid want close to €13m for the midfielder and his wages will be in excess of €25o,000. One key concern is the injury history of Khedira. The defensive midfielder underwent a knee surgery in early September is expected to return in December. He decided to undergo an arthroscopic revision on his healthy left knee in a period where he was already injured.
If this deal happen, these Arsenal fans are in for disappointment,