Sami Khedira eyed by Jose Mourinho with Chelsea aiming to prise Germany midfielder from Real Madrid as Arsenal turn their attention to Lars Bender instead

Chelsea are confident of beating Arsenal to Sami Khedira from Real Madrid.

Contract talks between Real and The 27-year-old German's representatives have broken down and they are willing to sell rather than let him go for free next summer.

Arsenal want Khedira but will pursue Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender if they lose out to Chelsea.

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Midfield maestro: Sami Khedira's performances for Germany at the 2014 World Cup have caught the eye

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On target: Khedira got his name on the scoresheet during Germany's semi-final win against Brazil

 

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Reunion: Jose Mourinho managed Khedira during his time as Real Madrid boss

Madrid had earmarked Ramires of Chelsea as a replacement for Khedira but may now opt for his compatriot Luis Gustavo at Wolfsburg.

Chelsea are continuing negotiations over the £20m purchase of left-back Filipe Luis of Atletico Madrid.

The 28-year-old Brazilian has been made to train with the reserves after expressing a desire to move but Atletico are determined to get their buy-out clause on the player while Chelsea haggle for less.

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Back up plan: Arsenal will go for Leverkusen's Lars Bender if they cannot get Khedira

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Target: Filipe Luis impressed for Atletico this season, including in the Champions League clash with Chelsea

 

 

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Sami Khedira 'is not in talks with Arsenal and Chelsea', according to agent Jorg Neubauer

Exclusive: Real Madrid midfielder's agent, Jorg Neubauer, says that he has not been contacted about any possible deal

Hands on the prize: Sami Khedira holds the World Cup outside the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin after Germany's successful campaign in Brazil Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Matt Law

5:15PM BST 16 Jul 2014

198 Comments

The agent of Sami Khedira has insisted his client is not in talks over a move to Arsenal or Chelsea.

Reports in Spain have claimed Arsenal have agreed a fee with Real Madrid for Khedira and are trying to negotiate down the midfielder’s pay demands.

But when contacted by Telegraph Sport, Khedira’s agent Jorg Neubauer claimed he had not heard from Arsenal or Chelsea.

“We are not in talks with Arsenal,” said Neubauer. “I don’t think a fee can have been agreed, otherwise I would have been told.

“When a club have an interest I am sure they will call me and we will speak about things. The same goes for Chelsea.”

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Khedira’s current Real Madrid contract only has a year remaining, which has alerted Arsenal and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to his potential ability.

“We are talking to Real Madrid about his contract, but nothing is close to being decided,” said Neubauer. “Sami has just returned from the World Cup and has gone on holiday.”

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Toni Kroos signs six-year deal at Real Madrid after leaving Bayern Munich

World Cup winner joins Champions League holders for an undisclosed fee having left German club after four seasons

I'll be off then: Toni Kroos has completed his move to Real Madrid and will be unveiled by the club on Thursday Photo: REUTERS

By Telegraph Sport

9:11AM BST 17 Jul 2014

6 Comments

Germany's World Cup winner Toni Kroos has joined Real Madrid from Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old midfielder has signed a six-year contract with the current Champions League holders.

"We would like to thank Toni Kroos for his time here in Munich," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

"We enjoyed great success here together. We would like to wish him and his family all the best in Madrid and with Real."

Kroos won three Bundesliga titles in four seasons with Bayern, clinching the DFB-Pokal three times and being part of the historic treble-winning side of 2012/13.

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That year they also clinched the Champions League, before winning the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup last season.

In total, Kroos made 173 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 23 goals, 13 for Bayern and 10 during an 18-month loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen.

The midfielder was an ever-present for Germany at the World Cup, lifting the trophy in Rio de Janeiro last Sunday.

He joins compatriot Sami Khedira in Madrid and will be presented to the media later on Thursday after undergoing a medical.

The Germany international has completed his transfer from the Allianz Arena to the Santiago Bernabeu. But is Real Madrid getting the real deal?

One of the biggest transfer stories of 2014 has seen Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos leave the German champion to join Spanish giant Real Madrid.

With the midfielder declining to extend his contract that runs out in 2015, Bayern has made the decision to cash in on the 24-year-old.

But Kroos is someone who splits opinion. He is regarded by some as the future of German soccer and a player Bayern will regret losing. Others see him as a player who has been overrated and has failed to justify the hype surrounding him.

Goal's Enis Koylu and Falko Bloding go head to head over the issue and debate who will win and lose this transfer.

BAYERN'S LOSS WILL BE MADRID'S GAIN

 
By Enis Koylu

Letting Toni Kroos leave Bayern Munich, quite simply, is an act of folly. The Germany midfielder has demonstrated over the past two years just how good an operator he is and, at 24, he has his best years ahead of him. 

A key part of the treble-winning team, Kroos is perfectly entitled to ask for wages on par with less-accomplished players such as Mario Gotze and Thiago Alcantara. He may have been less productive last season than in the previous campaign, but he is hardly the only player to have had initial struggles with Pep Guardiola’s tactics. 

Then you look at the logistics of his move to Real Madrid. Bayern has met the European champion in the Champions League semifinals in two of the past three years and now the Bavarians are wilfully offloading a star asset to a team it can count among its rivals. 

Kroos has been at the Allianz Arena for nearly 10 years now and would have preferred to stay, but the club has treated him in an ungracious manner, hardly befitting his status as a 50-cap Germany international. 

Bayern, of course, has the reinforcements to cope in the long and short term. Bastian Schweinsteiger is one of the finest players to ply his trade in the Bundesliga in the last 10 years, Philipp Lahm has shown his ability in midfield and Thiago had an encouraging first season in Germany. 

But Kroos is far more experienced than his Spanish counterpart, and Schweinsteiger and Lahm are now approaching the period of their career when they will be winding down. The skipper is 30 now, and his deputy will reach that milestone in August. 

Kroos could have become a senior figure in Munich and eased the transition, eventually taking on a leadership role in the team. But Bayern has made its bed, and its loss will undoubtedly be Madrid's gain.

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BAYERN SHOULDN'T SHED ANY TEARS

By Falko Bloding

A player who leaves Bayern of his own volition is a rarity in soccer and it is hardly ever a starter who does it, particularly one at the age of 24. But Toni Kroos will go to Real Madrid and his current employer should not shed any tears.

There is no doubt that Kroos is a very good player, but is he irreplaceable? Of course not, and the club's bosses share that opinion. It is telling that they never came close to meeting his demands in contract talks. Would it really be justified if he earned similar money to the likes of Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben?

Kroos is someone who plays well when his teammates are playing well. People will argue that he won the treble with Bayern, but he was absent for the last two months of the season and his replacement in the XI, Robben, led the Bavarians to glory.

Matches like the Euro 2012 semifinal against Italy, when he turned in a dreadful performance, should not be forgotten. Just a month earlier, he had shied away from taking a penalty in the shootout loss to Chelsea in the Champions League final, leaving the responsibility to Manuel Neuer.

Bayern may well miss his proficiency from set plays but his absence in midfield won't be felt. When Pep Guardiola's protege, Thiago, is fit once again, he will be able to build on a promising debut campaign in the Bundesliga, while the signing of Juan Bernat means David Alaba is likely to get some playing time in the center of the park. Bayern may well even sign a new player in that position, too.

Kroos has never had a warm relationship with Bayern and it is hard to imagine him ever becoming a legend at the Allianz Arena. From the moment he made his debut, he was seen as a super talent who would go on to be the next big thing. But the truth is that he is just a very good player who has never quite lived up to those high expectations. In every sense, he is different from the likes of Schweinsteiger and Muller, who came through the academy and are symbols of the club.

Bayern is getting a great deal — to receive around 30 million euros for a player with just one year left on his contract is superb business. That, combined with Guardiola's unwillingness to go into the new season with the Kroos saga unresolved, is why the Germans are selling. Kroos' sale won't affect Bayern at all.

17 July 2014Last updated at 11:22 GMT

Toni Kroos joins Real Madrid from Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos has joined Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee on a six-year deal.

Kroos, 24, was a key player for Germany as they beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup and scored two goals during the competition in Brazil.

He was presented to Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu on Thursday after undergoing a medical.

Kroos joined Bayern from Hansa Rostock as a 16-year-old and made 173 Bundesliga appearances.

Toni Kroos factfile
Born in Greifswald, Germany, on 4 January 1990.
Joins Bayern Munich from Hansa Rostock in 2006 and makes 173 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 23 goals, including 10 during a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen.
Wins three Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals (German cups), Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.
Plays every game and scores two goals as Germany win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with a 1-0 victory over Argentina.

He spent 18 months on loan at Bayer Leverkusen but returned to win three Bundesliga titles and the German Cup three times.

He was part of the historic treble-winning side of 2012-13 that lifted the Champions League, Bundesliga title and German Cup.

He also won the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup last season.

Kroos, whose contract with Bayern had one year left to run, had been linked with a move to Manchester United.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "We would like to thank Toni Kroos for his time here in Munich.

"We enjoyed great success here together. We would like to wish him and his family all the best in Madrid and with Real."

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• Gotze goal a fitting finale to memorable World Cup 14 Jul 2014 FOOTBALL
• Germany 1 - 0 Argentina 13 Jul 2014 WORLD CUP 2014
• Kroos open to Premier League move 10 Mar 2014 FOOTBALL
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