Arsenal are widely reported to be closing on a club record deal for Mesut Ozil.
The German international is regarded as one of the best playmaking talents in European football, and is currently plying his trade for Spanish giants Real Madrid. However, with the world record £85.4million arrival of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspurs, they are willing to offload the 24-year-old despite him featuring heavily for Los Blancos since his 2010 arrival.
Arsene Wenger has been urged to spend on his squad for much of the summer, and reports suggest he is prepared to smash the Gunners transfer record to land Ozil. It is believed that a fee of £42.5million has been agreed with Real, and the former Werder Bremen man is undergoing a medical in Munich before discussing personal terms on the transfer.
Speaking after Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal a 1-0 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, the French coach said: “It is a little bit like a domino game. Maybe something will happen in the last 24 hours, maybe not. It is very difficult to predict, but maybe we can surprise you.”
There was speculation that Manchester United were also keen to sign Ozil, but the champions have dismissed this. Instead, David Moyes is prepared to meet the £30.5million release clause in the contract of Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera, whilst the Scot also plans to return to Goodison Park to tie up the transfer of his former Everton charge Marouane Fellaini.
As for the Gunners, they are also hoping to persuade London rivals to let them take striker Demba Ba on loan for the remainder of the season. The Senegalese international is well down the pecking order under coach Jose Mourinho, who is prepared to let the former Newcastle United ace leave but would prefer to offload abroad. Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano is also a target, whilst Wenger may also have more business with Real for forward Angel Di Maria and striker Karim Benzema.
