Expensive?: Ozil due for Arsenal medical as €47m deal edges closer

• Posted on September 2, 2013September 2, 2013
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Mesut Ozil is on standby to undertake an Arsenal medical on Monday afternoon as he continues to negotiate personal terms with the club.

The Gunners have agreed a €47 million fee with Real Madrid for the Germany international and are confident of completing the deal before Monday night’s 11pm transfer deadline.

Sources have told Goal that Arsenal’s record-breaking move is “very close to being agreed” amid reports of late interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Arsene Wenger will have to smash his wage structure to land Ozil, and senior club officials have been in detailed negotiations with the player’s representatives since Sunday evening.

Ozil is due to meet up with the Germany squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers this weekend but should have no problem being given dispensation from the national team to have a medical.

It is expected that it would take place at Arsenal’s London Colney headquarters but it is understood there is the facility for it to happen in Germany.

As revealed by Goal, goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano has already had a medical, which he passed on Monday morning, and has agreed the terms of a season-long loan from Palermo.

Arsenal are also working on a loan deal for Chelsea striker Demba Ba and are still in the running to capture Angel Di Maria, also from Real, for €30m.

The Londoners are most confident of pushing through the Ozil deal, which would more than double their record transfer outlay, after holding high-level talks with Real in recent days.

Wenger turned his attention to Real Madrid’s battery of elite attackers after it became increasingly clear that Gareth Bale was set for a world-record €100 m move to Spain.

The Gunners tabled a €30m bid for Di Maria last week and are still waiting to hear from Real if it has been accepted. The Argentine winger 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 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 Maria, who is playing well and with great intensity”.

GOAL