Arsenal must shatter their strict wage structure if they want to land Sami Khedira this summer according to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, otherwise Chelsea could steal him from them.
The German could well be on the move this summer having reportedly turned down the offer of a contract extension at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal interest
Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal have had an offer of around €25 million accepted by Real Madrid, but the sticking point could be his wages. The 27-year-old is believed to be holding out for an eye-watering £150,000-per-week - £20,000-per-week more than Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez who are the club's current highest earners.
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According to Hunter, who was speaking on TalkSPORT radio, ultimately it will come down to whether Arsene Wenger is ready to let go of his old ways and splash the cash.
“Arsenal have made the running in terms of a bid, and there’s no question Real Madrid have accepted that offer,” he told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show. “It’s now about dosh.
Contract
“The market backs Sami Khedira. He’s only got one year left on his contract, so he could leave for free in a year’s time and demand extraordinary big wages.
“The hard line for Arsenal is that, if Arsene Wenger wants Khedira, it’s time for him to move his salary structure. At that stage Khedira will join Arsenal."
However he had a word of warning for the Gunners, with Chelsea also in the race for the German's signature.
“If they dilly-dally, and Mourinho is committed, then he’ll join Chelsea,” he explained.
Chelsea advantage?
Khedira worked with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid so that could give Chelsea the upper hand in the transfer battle. The Blues have already signed Cesc Fabregas this summer and have the likes of Marco van Ginkel, Nemanja Matic and Ramires on their books, so whether they will firm up their interest remains to be seen.
Despite all the speculation regarding Arsenal and Chelsea's interest, Khedira's agent has denied that a transfer is close to happening.
"We are not in talks with Arsenal. I don’t think a fee can have been agreed, otherwise I would have been told," agent Jorg Neubauer said. "We are talking to Real Madrid about his contract, but nothing is close to being decided. Sami has just returned from the World Cup and has gone on holiday."
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