Bremen sells Oezil to Real Madrid
Midfielder Mesut Oezil has become the second member of Germany's third-place World Cup squad to move to Real Madrid.
Madrid said on Tuesday it had agreed to a deal with Werder Bremen for Oezil, subject to a physical on Wednesday.
Werder and Madrid confirmed the deal, but gave no details. Oezil was traveling immediately to Madrid.
''We are respecting Mesut's wish to make the next step in his career,'' Werder business manager Klaus Allofs said.
The two clubs hurried to complete the deal before Bremen's Champions League qualifying game on Wednesday against Sampdoria. Oezil would not have been eligible to play for another club in the competition if he had been in Werder's lineup.
The 21-year-old midfielder will join Germany teammate Sami Khedira at Madrid under its new coach Jose Mourinho. Khedira formerly played for Stuttgart.
The move had been expected, and media in both countries have said Madrid made an improved offer for the son of Turkish immigrants after Werder rejected the initial bid as inadequate.
''We reached a deal today, quite simply because Real offered more money,'' Allofs said, declining to give any figures. ''Werder can never ignore the economic factor.''
Oezil arrived in Bremen in January 2008 from Schalke. He won the German Cup in 2009 with Werder and scored 12 goals in 71 games.
Although he could have played for Turkey, Oezil chose to represent Germany and was a prominent member of Joachim Loew's young team that exceeded expectations by finishing third at the World Cup in South Africa.
Oezil is expected to help Madrid overcome the four-month absence of Brazil midfielder Kaka after a knee operation.