German World Cup star Mesut Ozil, who was being tracked by Manchester United, has signed a 12 million pound deal with Real Madrid. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson went to watch Ozil when Werder Bremen played a friendly at Fulham earlier this month.
But Madrid boss Jose Mourinho got his man after Bremen turned down an initial offer from the Spanish giants on Friday. Ozil joins compatriot Sami Khedira at the Bernabeu along with fellow new signings Angel Di Maria and Ricardo Carvalho, The Sun reports.
“Ozil lands at Real after a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,” a Real Madrid statement said. “His unique touch, un-matched technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make him one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football,” it added.
Bremen’s director of sport Klaus Allofs said: “We are respecting the player’s wishes to take the next step in his career immediately.” Ozil has scored 12 goals in 71 appearances for Bremen.