Mesut Ozil: Arsenal agree a £42.4m deal with Real Madrid
Arsenal have agreed a £42.4m (50m euros) deal with Real Madrid to sign Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil.
The 24-year-old has agreed personal terms but must have a medical before Arsenal can complete what would be a club-record signing.
Ozil is on international duty and the medical will take place in Germany.
Mesut Ozil factfile
Age: 24
Previous clubs: Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid
International: 47 caps for Germany, 14 goals
Honours: La Liga (2011-12), Copa del Rey (2011) Spanish Super Cup (2012), DFB Cup (2009), DFL Supercup (2009)
Ozil, who has Turkish parents, on his footballing ability: “My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part.”
Arsenal are also in talks with Chelsea to sign 28-year-old striker Demba Ba on a season-long loan and want Palermo goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, 27.
The Gunners have failed in high-profile attempts to sign Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain, another Real Madrid player, this summer.
But they are close to capturing Ozil after Gareth Bale’s world-record £85.3m switch from Tottenham to Real triggered further deals on the final day of the transfer window.
Ozil joined Real from Werder Bremen three years ago for a fee believed to be about £12.4m and has played 155 times for the club.
Ahead of the transfer deadline at 23:00 BST on Monday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made only two signings – striker Yaya Sanogo, 20, and midfielder Mathieu Flamini, 29, arriving on free transfers.
But the signing of Ozil, who helped Real win La Liga in 2011-12 and was named in Uefa’s team of the tournament at Euro 2012, would deliver a signal of intent to the Gunners’ Premier League rivals
BBC
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