Arsenal are in advanced talks with Real Madrid to sign Mesut Ozil for £40 million, naijanewsstand can reveal.
High-level discussions have been
held between the clubs in recent
days and Arsene Wenger is increasingly hopeful that a
sensational late move for the Germany international can be
completed before Monday night’s transfer deadline.
Arsenal are willing to pay a club-
record £40m to capture Ozil,
who has privately indicated he is
keen to move to the Emirates
Stadium, despite his public
claims he is happy to stay and
fight for his place in Carlo
Ancelotti's side.
The Gunners now face a race
against time to complete the
deal in what promises to be a
frantic final 24 hours of the
window. Wenger is targeting at
least three new signings on
deadline day as he tries to make
amends for what has been a
frustrating summer of transfer activity for the club.
As revealed by Goal, Arsenal have reached an agreement
with Palermo to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Vivano on a
season-long loan, with the Italian heading to London on
Sunday night to discuss personal terms and undertake a
medical.
Wenger is also working on a third deal as he seeks to
strengthen a squad that has been severely weakened both
by injury and high-profile departures in the past two
summers.
Despite working with a transfer budget of up to £100m,
Wenger has suffered repeated frustration in the transfer
market this summer and is yet to make a cash signing.
The Frenchman’s priority has
been to add a proven striker to
the ranks but two bids for Luis
Suarez were rejected by
Liverpool, while moves for
Gonzalo Higuain, Wayne Rooney
and Karim Benzema have all
been unsuccessful. Wenger
turned his attention to Real
Madrid’s battery of elite
attackers after it became
increasingly clear that Bale was
set for a world-record £86m
move to Spain.
The Gunners tabled a £25.6m
bid for Angel Di Maria last week but the player has begun
the season in impressive form and is reluctant to cut his
ties with the Bernabeu.
However, Ozil was left on the bench for Real’s 3-1 win
earlier on Sunday after being substituted during the 1-0
win at Granada six days previously, which he reacted to by
storming down the tunnel and onto the team bus.
Asked about overlooking Ozil in favour of Di Maria on
Sunday, Ancelotti said: “It’s to be expected that he’s not
happy. I don’t like players who are happy to be on the
bench. It was a football decision to play Di María, who is
playing well and with great intensity".
Arsenal have been given encouragement that Real are
willing to off-load the 24-year-old playmaker as they
prepare to trim costs and free up space in the team for
Gareth Bale.
Ozil has been a fixture in the Real team, usually playing in
the No10 role behind the centre-forward, since moving
from Werder Bream in the summer of 2010. He has also
won 47 caps for the Germany national team.
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