Oezil adios
August 17, 2010
German national player Mesut Oezil, voted one of the 10 best players at this summer's FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has quit the Bundesliga to sign a contract with Spanish club Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old offensive midfielder, who's been with German team Werder Bremen since January 2008, signed with the Spanish soccer giant for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Spanish sports newspaper Marca, however, put the fee in the range of 15 million euros ($19.2 million), adding that Oezil had signed up for a six-year contract worth around five million euros annually.
"Mesut Oezil lands at Real Madrid after a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa," Real said on their website on Tuesday.
"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."
Oezil joins Khedira
Oezil will join Germany teammate Sami Khedira, who left Stuttgart earlier in August to sign with Real.
Werder Bremen had been eager to offload Oezil during the summer transfer window. His contract was due to run out at the end of the season, leaving him free to go and Bremen without the lucrative transfer fee.
Oezil sat out Bremen's final training session before Wednesday's Champions League playoff against Sampdoria. He is expected to undergo a medical in Madrid on Wednesday, to be followed by a press conference.
Author: Martin Kuebler (AFP/dpa)
Editor: Susan Houlton