Bremen Hunt For Ozil Replacement

Werder Bremen are reportedly looking to sign the Marseille attacking midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa as the German side look to replace the Real Madrid bound Mesut Ozil and boost their favourite odds to win Bundesliga.

Newcastle were widely reported to be close to a deal with the Frenchman but were hoping for a loan deal rather than a permanent one. The fact that Marseille prefer to sell the player outright rather than a loan will work in Bremen’s favour as the club made a healthy £11.5million from selling Ozil and have that money to spend on a replacement. The sale of Ozil was a decent deal for the German club as the midfielder was entering the final year of his contract at the club and would have been available on a free next summer.

Former Lyon winger Ben Arfa has made it clear he will not play for Marseilles again after a bust up with the club’s hierarchy over his move to England. The 23 year old has played eight times for his country scoring twice. He was unlucky/lucky to miss out on the French squad which went to South Africa this summer. By missing out on the debacle that was the World Cup, Ben Arfa will have more chance to establish himself in the national squad if he finds regular club football this season.

Werder Bremen have recently made it clear they aren’t looking to re-sign Diego from Juventus. The Brazilian is reportedly keen on a return to Germany with Bremen and Wolfsburg being mentioned. The 25 year old left Bremen for Italy in a deal worth nearly £24million last summer but hasn’t settled into life in Serie A as he had hoped and is looking to move. This leaves it wide open for a move for Ben Arfa.

Elsewhere in Europe, the La Liga betting prices are worth checking out, with plenty keen to find out how Ozil gets on at Real Madrid.