Mesut Oezil: Real Madrid's new No. 10

I will be very honest. Last summer when German internationals Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira left the Bundesliga to join Spanish giants Real Madrid I didn't believe that they would directly be able to make an impact with the Los Blancos under the new high profile manager Jose Mourinho. They have both positively surprised me.

Especially Oezil has grown unbelievably in stature over the last season. A year back I had my doubts if the move to Real Madrid is the right one at such a young age. I had written a blog entry under the title
Can Oezil make it at Real Madrid? at the time.

After year one I can say, he has not only made it, he's on the way to become one of the best players in the world. Now Oezil has the honour of wearing the legendary number 10 at Real Madrid.

Defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra was a misfit in such an iconic number which at Real Madrid has been worn by players like Ferenc Puskás (Hungary), Günter Netzer (West Germany), Michael Laudrup (Denmark), Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands), Figo (Portugal), Robinho (Brazil) and Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).

Oezil moves from the No. 23 jersey which he wore in season one, a number which has been worn by David Beckham and too by Wesley Sneijder in his first season at the club, so good company.

Can Oezil make it at Real Madrid?

As I had speculated earlier this week, in the end it was a matter of the transfer fee. The exact fee hasn't been made public, but it is estimated to be in the region of 15 Million Euros. While in Bremen they say they made a good piece of business as Oezil would have been a free agent at the end of the season, Real Madrid say they signed a top talent for a low fee. Now Germany's Mesut Oezil has signed a six year contract with Real Madrid and has fulfilled his wish to join the Spanish giants.

In Spain the media is already going gaga over the Oezil signing. Headlines read in the big sports papers say "sheer raw talent", "the find of the 2010 World Cup" or "the German Zidane". About the last one, is someone is Spain reading my blog??? I had actually written a blog entry about this during the World Cup. Just kidding...

Here the link for those of you interested to read the story: Mesut Oezil - the new Zidane?

But for Oezil all these compliments and high expectations mean a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the 21 year old youngster, who has a lot of talent but who hasn't played through a full Bundesliga season without any ups and downs. Last season at Werder Bremen he started off with a bang, but in the second half of the season never could play on that level again. The same happened at the World Cup, surely he had exceptional games for Germany but also others were he was part of the team but no stand-out. At Real Madrid such ups and downs could mean the bench or sitting in the stands, something which Oezil at this early stage of his career will try to avoid.

And Oezil is rather an introvert. He isn't outgoing like other footballers, rather a calm and quiet person and at Werder Bremen it wasn't the hustle and bustle of a Real Madrid where every step of his can be watched. That he engaged to German pop singer Sarah Connor's sister will surely add to the glamour factor, but nothing that Oezil normally worries about. But he will have Germany team mate Sami Khedira there for companionship which should help both players settle in the Spanish capital. They are the second German pair after 1974 World Cup winners Guenter Netzer and Paul Breitner who play at the same time at the Bernabeu.

I hope that Oezil makes it at Real Madrid and that he has a great career ahead of him. But as written, it will not be easy...

Real Madrid want Oezil

Young Mesut Oezil was one of the stand-out performers of the German national team this summer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. And such performances are bound to draw interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe - Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, FC Arsenal and Manchester United have all been linked to the 21 year old from Gelsenkirchen.

Now Spanish giants Real Madrid have taken that interest to the next level by making a first offer for Mesut Oezil to his current club Werder Bremen, but the German Bundesliga side have turned it down. Bremen's Director of Sport Klaus Allofs said, "We have received an unacceptable offer that does not even provide any basis for negotiations."

But this isn't the end of the road for negotiations as Mesut Oezil himself has said that he would love to move to the Spanish capital. Oezil said Saturday after Bremen's German Cup game in Ahlen, "When you have such an opportunity like this, then you want to take it."

Now Real Madrid will have to up their offer as Werder Bremen will also want to cash in on Oezil as he is a free agent at the end of next season which would mean he could leave the North German club on a free transfer. But there could be a deadline on Wednesday, August 18 as Werder Bremen face Sampdoria Genoa in a UEFA Champions League qualifier that day. And if Bremen use Oezil in that match, then he would be blocked for the 2010/11 season to play for another club in European competitions and that would render him somewhat useless to the aims of Real Madrid.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has recently spoken highly of Oezil, "If he comes, it would certainly be excellent. Oezil would definitely help us." And this means Real's Director of Sport Jorge Valdano will go back to Bremen with an improved offer and see how the Germans react. Like in the case of Oezil's Germany team mate Sami Khedira and his old club VfB Stuttgart, in the end it was a matter of time and money. And Real Madrid surely have the deep pockets, only time could be a factor in this transfer. But when a player wants to leave the releasing club has little options but to let him go and take a hefty transfer fee.

Mourinho eyes German talent

Real Madrid's biggest signing of the summer so far has been that of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho. And the "Special One" is looking to strengthen his squad ahead of a tough first season in Spain for him. While before the World Cup the focus seemed to be on English players with the likes of Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Chelsea's Ashley Cole on top of the wish list, it now seems Mourinho is rather looking at young German talent to bring to the Bernabeu.

The names being linked with Real Madrid are that of midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil plus the surprise one of striker Mario Gomez. While in the case of Schweinsteiger it looks a lost cause as Bayern Munich are unlikely to release the 25 year old, who has come through the ranks at the Bavarian giants and has finally made the breakthrough; with Khedira it looks somewhat different. There it seems to be an issue of the transfer fee and modalities between Real Madrid and VfB Stuttgart. Real's first offer was said to be 8 Million Euros, while Stuttgart were willing to sell Khedira for 15 Million Euros. The follow-up offer is said to be higher at 10 Million Euros plus Dutch winger Royston Drenthe. But Stuttgart has denied any talks so far, while Khedira and his agent are said to have been in Madrid this week to have a look at the club and speak to Mourinho about his plans for the young midfielder. Here a transfer looks very much possible and at the end it will be an issue of money and modality.

But Mourinho isn't done with German players in signing Khedira. He also has set his sights on new midfield sensation Mesut Oezil. But Mourinho isn't the only one interested in Oezil. English Premier League giants Chelsea and Arsenal along with rivals FC Barcelona are also showing an interest in the Werder Bremen midfielder, whose contract is set to end in 2011. And Oezil seems to be interested to leave Germany and try his luck elsewhere. So if Bremen want to cash in on Oezil they will have to sell him this summer. But Bremen say they would rather retain Oezil and would try to renew his contract then sell him. But over the years Bremen has not been able to retain top talent who either move on to Bayern Munich or abroad.

The link of Mario Gomez and Real Madrid came as a major surprise to me. But for Mourinho there is a simple logic behind it. Living Real legend Raul is no longer a first eleven player and he would like to try his luck elsewhere. 33 year old Raul is said to have had concrete talks with German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, while his former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster is interested to bring him to Turkey to play for Besiktas Istanbul. So Mourinho needs a potent replacement and Mario Gomez seems to have caught his eye. And to make it interesting for Gomez's club Bayern Munich Real are willing to offer Rafael van der Vaart as bait. One will have to see if Bayern are interested to sell Gomez, who started off well in Munich but towards the end of the season had no real chance under manager Louis van Gaal.

So far Real Madrid have been rather calm and quite in the transfer market, even though they have already spend 41 Million Euros on Ángel Di María (Benfica Lisbon, 25 Million), Pedro Léon (FC Getafe, 10 Million) and Sergio Canales (Racing Santander, 6 Million). But surely Mourinho will look to add some big names to his squad before the transfer period closes on August 31 and he might until then also offload some player who do not fit into his plans.

Mesut Oezil - the new Zidane?

Germany's new midfield sensation Mesut Oezil has been the pick of the German youngsters at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa so far. The 21 year old attacking midfielder is of Turkish descent and was born in Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr valley of western Germany.

And I remember something a good friend of mine told me last winter after a great performance from Oezil for his club SV Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga, Oezil reminds him of the young Zinedine Zidane in his playing days for Girondins de Bordeaux. I then thought a comparison to big for such a young player, but having watched more and more of Oezil over the last few months for his club and country I have to agree more and more.

Surely players shouldn't be compared, even less when they are from different generations but there are things which does remind one of the great Zizou when one sees Oezil play these days. But Oezil is at the start of a career which can go a long way.

The similarities between Oezil and Zidane starts with their background. Both players are from immigrant communities, born and brought up in cities with large immigrant populations and are both also practising Muslims.
Both these players are rather calm and quiet, but can explode on the field. They both are creative players in midfield who can do something special, especially on days when things don't always seem to work for them and their team. The best example is Oezil's brilliant goal against Ghana last night. Oezil tried his best to create chances for his team, look for the open spaces and in the first half should have given his team the lead when he only had the keeper Richard Kingson to beat. He didn't score then, but got his team the win later on at the hour mark.
Zidane went on to become one of the best players of all times, Oezil has a long journey ahead of him in the coming years.
But there is one difference. Zidane was a hot-headed player, while Oezil so far in his career has been known as a cool headed player.

After the World Cup Oezil will have to decide where his future lies. He still has a contract with Werder Bremen, but he has interesting offers from Premier League clubs FC Arsenal, Manchester City and now also FC Chelsea; while clubs in Spain and Italy will also look at him if he is on the market. But maybe it would most make sense if he proves himself another year in the Bundesliga before moving on to bigger clubs with better pay packages.

And with Germany still in the World Cup, one will have to see if Oezil is one of the young stars of the tournament or maybe even more if Germany can reach far in South Africa.