Sami Khedira has been linked to Arsenal for the majority of the summer with the media and even his compatriots who are keen for him to join them at the Emirates implying an interest. Khedira was part of the German team that lifted the World Cup in Brazil and since the triumph, along with Arsenal's strong German contingent, the media were soon to link the two parties. Arsenal had agreed a £20m fee with Real Madrid to sign Khedira two weeks ago, however, the 27-year-old's wage demands seemed to be a sticking point as they failed to agree terms.
Since the two parties failed to agree terms, many reports suggested Khedira's move to Arsenal wouldn't happen, but the deal seems to have been resurrected. Madrid holding onto Khedira for another season may cost them in the long run as they run the risk of losing him to a Bosman, with Bayern Munich keen to snap him up next summer. If Madrid fail to offload the midfielder in the current window, Bayern could acquire his services with a pre-contract as early as January. Not only would Bayern, Madrid's fiercest Champions League rivals, further strengthen their squad but Madrid would also lose out on a potential transfer fee. With such alarming consequences on the horizon, Madrid are now keen to push through a deal and Arsenal could capitalise on the fact.
Long standing Arsene Wenger spent most of his young life admiring German football, travelling to look Borussia Monchengladbach as a kid and even played in the country in a UEFA Cup match between Racing Club de Strasburg and Duisburg. Wenger was quick to observe the development of the German team in the belief they would hit similar heights to the German teams of his youth. Arsenal have slowly brought a German contingent to the club, similarly to their old French contingent of the late 90's-early 2000's and Khedira is a player who both fits the need for a strong, experienced midfielder who can clean up behind the midfield and is also a person who can build on the team chemistry as another German addition.
A recent tweet from ex-Nottingham Forrest and Liverpool player, Stan Collymore stated the deal is "100% on, despite what anyone else tells you." this bold statement comes from a man who was one of the first people to break the story as it first emerged a number of weeks ago as he stated knowing agents involved in the deal. The ex-pro has somewhat tarnished his career since retiring from the game, but due to this you would believe he's not going to make such a bold statement, putting his already tarnished reputation on the line without good reason.
If Marca and Bild's reports are correct along with others, it looks like Arsenal are very much in the driving seat as Madrid will try to offload Khedira before Bayern secure his services. As Wenger is a tough negotiator when it comes to transfers, don't expect the deal to be completed any time soon as he may be an Ozil-esque, deadline-day signing. William Carvalho has reportedly been allowed to leave Sporting, which suggests they were just trying to call Arsenal's bluff by asking for them to meet his £35m clause. As an Economy graduate, Wenger may in fact use the apparent desire for both clubs to sell as a way to lower their demands, by playing the clubs off against each other.