Arsenal appear to have missed out on one of their reported summer targets, as Carlo Ancelotti insists Sami Khedira is staying at Real Madrid.
Arsene Wenger has already made one marquee signing since last season, having lured Chile international Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, and have also spent wisely in recruiting the impressive Calum Chambers from Southampton and Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United, whilst David Ospina will provide stiff competition for Wojciech Szczesny in goal.
Having ended a nine-year wait for a trophy when they won the FA Cup last season, there is now optimism that the Gunners will challenge for a first league title since 2004. However, despite the new additions, it is largely thought that without more quality signings, the Emirates Stadium club are still a little short of what Chelsea and Manchester City can offer.
Amongst the areas for improvement is the central midfield, and although Wenger has refused to confirm an interest in Khedira, the 27-year-old has been linked with a move to the club for much of the window. The former Stuttgart ace has fully recovered from a knee injury which sidelined him for five months last term, as demonstrated during the summer when he played five times as he helped Germany win the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
And with his contract at Real Madrid entering its final 12 months, it appeared as though the defensive midfielder could be attainable, especially as he had reportedly rejected an initial offer to renew his deal. However, speaking ahead of their La Liga opener against Cordoba on Monday evening, Los Blancos coach Ancelotti said: “The issue with Sami Khedira has also been resolved. He’s staying and we’re happy that’s the case.”
Khedira is a hugely popular player with the Bernabeu fan-base, so they will be delighted to hear that he now looks set to stay, especially as another favourite, Angel di Maria, looks on the verge of signing for Manchester United. Real have accepted an offer of £63.9million for the winger, who is set to travel to England on Monday to discuss personal terms.
Back to Arsenal, and the latest midfielder who is being mooted as a potential solution for Wenger is Portugal international William Carvalho, who has also been linked with both Chelsea and United. According to The Metro, the Gunners could make a move for the 22-year-old Sporting Lisbon ace if they overcome Besiktas to qualify for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. The first leg ended in a goalless draw last week, and the Turkish side travel to the English capital on Wednesday evening to determine which team progress.
Arsenal fans, do you think you should still make a bid for Khedira before he agrees a new contract? Or should you now just focus on Carvalho? Let us know what you think by joining in the discussion below!
