Another day, another defensive midfielder link, although one that might excite Liverpool fans slightly more than poor Stephane Mbia. Sami Khedira had a tough year at Real Madrid, and Carlo Ancelotti is apparently looking to quickly move the player out by capitalizing on his presence in Germany's midfield this week and possibly beyond.
The former Stuttgart man has featured regularly for Real Madrid since his transfer to the Spanish club in 2010, but he missed 39 games over nearly six months this past season while recovering from a cruciate ligament rupture. There was fear the injury might jeopardize his place on the German national team, but Khedira returned to the pitch for Madrid in mid-May and played his first full 90 mins since the injury on Monday in Germany's 4-0 win over Portugal.
Liverpool are said to be considering a bid of £15m, but Khedira may have other suitors in the Premier League. Chelsea are evidently monitoring the player, and Manchester United continue with Louis van Gaal's infallible method of targeting every last German international who might possibly improve their midfield. The Express report that United will submit a bid of £20m, while the Mirror says Liverpool are favourites to land Khedira's signature, so there may be more than a few things not entirely adding up on this particular rumour.
Like with the Mbia link, it's not clear that the twenty-seven year-old Khedira would be content to play a back-up role to the ever present and never substituted Steven Gerrard. Khedira clearly starts over Emre Can, but the continual question mark at this position is the future of Lucas Leiva. The increasing volume of links to defensive midfielders certainly doesn't feel like it bodes well for the Brazilian, but until such point that they stop being rumours and start becoming unlikely but legitimate transfers, it's best not to lose sleep over it.