Mesut Ozil Signs with Real Madrid

World Cup star and former Werder Bremen starlet Mesut Ozil has been snatched up by Real Madrid for a fee in the range of €15 million. The 21-year old stole the show for Germany at the 2010 World Cup, leading his side to a third place finishes while being a Golden Ball finalist himself.

It was a near certainty that Ozil would be leaving Werder Bremen this summer after he officially rejected the club’s final offer prior to the World Cup. Barcelona had looked to be the leaders in signing the breakout midfielder, but a poor initial bid for the player ultimately did them in. Bremen General Manager Klaus Allofs described Barca’s €9 million bid as “risible” and promptly made an agreement for Ozil with arch rivals Madrid. Real Madrid moved quickly to complete a deal last night as Bremen planned to play Ozil today in their Champions League match if a deal had not been made. Doing so would have left Ozil cup tied and unable to play in the Champions League for any team who purchased him.

In the end, it looks like both sides have made good on the situation with Bremen getting €15 million for a player who would have been available on a free transfer when his contract expired in 12 months and Mesut Ozil himself getting the opportunity to take his game to the next level at one of the biggest clubs in the world.