Mesut Ozil joins Real Madrid from Werder Bremen

Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen for an undisclosed fee reported to be around €20m (£16.6m). Ozil becomes Real’s sixth signing this summer. The 21-year-old has signed a six-year contract and will earn €5m a year. Mesut Ozil will join his international team-mate Sami Khedira at the Bernabéu. The playmaker, who helped Germany reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in South Africa, will undergo a medical in Madrid on Wednesday.

Ozil, who was born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish immigrant parents and turned down the chance to play for Turkey in favour of representing the country of his birth, has given German football something with which his predecessors were rarely associated – flair.

Mesut Ozil Real Calling

After a sparkling World Cup, Ozil captured the attention of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The arrival of Ozil may be a bad news for Kaka who is recuperating from a knee injury. Ozil scored a memorable goal in the group stages against Ghana but it was in his role as a playmaker that he really shone, laying on numerous opportunities for his team-mates as they brushed England and Argentina aside on their way to the last four.

A statement on Madrid’s official website read: “Mesut Ozil lands at Real Madrid after a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The midfielder earned a permanent spot on Germany’s senior side by the age of 21 after winning the 2009 Under-21 European Championship.

Mesut Ozil will be a threat to Kaka at Real Madrid

“His unique touch, unmatched individual technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make the German midfielder one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football.”

Real Madrid have always had an eye for superstars of the game. Whether Ozil shines at Bernabeu under Jose Mourinho remains to be seen. What remains clear is that the pursuit of Real Madrid to assemble another Galactico is on.

The coming Spanish season promises to be a delight. Whether Real would be able to challenge the dominance of Barcelona and their assembly of superstars will finally come good or will it again be a similar story of failure for Real.