Sami Khedira has been linked with a move to both Chelsea and Arsenal this summer…
Read more Chelsea transfer rumours.
The Daily Mirror are reporting that Chelsea have edged ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, although the reports also confirm that neither side has yet opened talks with the 27-year-old.
Jose Mourinho is trying to persuade the World Cup-winning midfielder to join Chelsea instead of Arsenal, having also signed Khedira for Real Madrid from Stuttgart in 2010.
The player is out of contract next summer and has refused a new deal, and Arsenal are understood to have agreed a fee of around £20m for him.
But talks have broken down over the 27-year-old’s £150,000-a-week wage demand – a sum that Chelsea, unlike Arsenal, are able to meet.
However, Khedira’s agent Jorg Neubauer today reiterated that he has not held talks over a move to the Premier League.
“We are not in talks with Arsenal,” Neubauer is quoted by the Daily Telegraph. “I don’t think a fee can have been agreed, otherwise I would have been told.
“When a club have an interest I am sure they will call me and we will speak about things. The same goes for Chelsea.”
Khedira is considered a dynamic midfielder with “flawless aerial ability” who can cover a lot of ground, recover the ball and quickly join in the team attack with his powerful mid-range shooting.
He has made 144 appearances in all competitions for Madrid, scoring nine goals and winning four domestic titles, as well as last season’s Champions League.