In a story that will probably launch 100 newsnow headlines along the lines of ‘Arsenal suffer transfer SHOCK’, or ‘Gunners SNUBBED by long term target’, it has started to emerge across global sports media that Real Madrid’s German box-to-box man, Sami Khedira is on the verge of completing a bosman transfer to Juventus.

In The Guardian, Juventus general manager, Beppe Marotta, is quoted as saying;

“Khedira is an opportunity in this market because his contract is running out. We have thought about it and are still reflecting on it as we have to take in many factors.”

Other sources have suggested that the Italian club’s sporting director Fabio Paratici has held talks with Khedira’s agent, proposing terms of around £3.2million a year after tax.

For Juve, it’s a deal that makes perfect sense.

They are likely to lose either Vidal or Pogba in the summer, even with the windfall of Champion’s League cash, and Pirlo is starting to struggle with the workload of habitually competing on several fronts. Juventus have transformed themselves from big spenders to among the best in Europe in picking up free transfers and cast offs, while still dominating Serie A.

From an Arsenal perspective, I’m not sure there have been any links to Khedira more concrete than a bit of early season Podolski tub-thumping.

Despite attempts to convince ourselves otherwise, Khedira is a box-to-box central midfielder rather than a holding player, and as such would command a significant salary without having any guarantee of a first team place, given that he would be competing with Ramsey, the fit again Jack Wilshere, and even the current incarnation of Santi Cazorla.

Khedira is a fine player (although beset with injury problems over the last two years), but unless the wages on offer were vast, I wouldn’t see a move to North London in his best interests.