German international not stupid to pick Arsenal over Chelsea
Published:News of any player choosing to sign for Arsenal over Chelsea after the recent 2-0 defeat the Gunners suffered at the hands of their London rivals could be written off as stupidity, but as far as Sami Khedira is concerned it couldn’t make more sense.
Reports indicate that the Real Madrid man, who has been restricted to just two substitute appearances so far this season, has turned down the chance to be reunited with his former Los Blancos boss, Jose Mourinho, in order to join the north London side.
An aversion to bench splinters is likely to be the reason for the move, with the German international desperate to rediscover the feeling of starting games on a regular basis.
Although his relationship with Mourinho, along with the Blues’ greater trophy-winning ability, is sure to be a pull, Khedira is highly unlikely to break into Chelsea’s settled midfield of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas.
Having fallen behind Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the Spanish side’s pecking order, the 27-year-old has earmarked the Gunners’ middle band – which is crying out for a defensive midfielder of Khedira’s ability – as a far more viable option.
The high volume of countrymen the former Stuttgart man would link up with at the Emirates is another appealing aspect of Khedira’s Arsenal switch, with Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil all on hand to help him settle.
Arsenal are 4/9 to claim their usual top-four spot after the Chelsea defeat and have been light in the anchorman ranks for some time with neither Mathieu Flamini or Mikel Arteta particularly impressive.
Khedira’s rejection of both a new Madrid deal and Mourinho’s advances could see Arsene Wenger land his man as soon as the January transfer window, although by then the 20/1 on Arsenal winning the Premier League title may well have grown further.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £100 in free bets.
