Werder Bremen double Mesut Ozil's asking price to £25m | Mail Online
Furious Werder Bremen double their asking price to £25m for Mesut Ozil after Real Madrid go behind their back
By Ashley Gray
Last updated at 10:43 AM on 17th August 2010
Mesut Ozil
Real for me: Mesut Ozil only wants to join Madrid
Werder Bremen have thrown Real Madrid's bid for Mesut Ozil into disarray by doubling the asking price for their in-demand playmaker to £25million.
The Bundesliga giants are understood to be angry that Real apparently briefed the Madrid press that a deal was imminent, despite rival interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Inter Milan.
However, Ozil's dad has upped the pressure by telling Turkish newspaper that his son will go to the Bernabeu either this summer - or as a free agent when his current contract expires next summer.
'We promised that if Bremen keep Mesut for now, next year year he will join a free,' Mustafa Ozil told Hurriyet. 'Mesut and I stayed at the chalet of (Real president) Florentino Perez in Madrid, he invited us there and everything was resolved quickly. We were impressed by his willingness to help my child play for his club.
'Our word is sacred. My son has always said that the only club he wanted to go to was Real Madrid.'
Bremen had hoped to tie the 21-year-old to a new contract and are playing hardball in negotiations by threatening to play Ozil in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Sampdoria unless a suitable offer is received. That would prevent him playing for others in European competitions this winter.
Mesut Ozil
Impressive: Ozil starred for Germany at the World Cup finals in South Africa
Bremen rejected an initial bid of under £10m from Real Madrid, but Spanish press reported on Monday that an £11.5m fee was all but agreed for the German World Cup star.
Werder Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs said: 'I am not aware of a new bid, that is not something I am able to confirm.
'I am, however, guessing that there might be news on that. I am prepared to receive a new bid.
'The facts are pretty clear. If a club is looking to sign Mesut to play UEFA Champions League, then that club needs to make a decision before Wednesday.
'If Mesut Ozil is a player of Werder Bremen on Wednesday, we are going to play him against Sampdoria.
'It would be up to Real Madrid to show up with the right answer to this all.'
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Werder Bremen double Mesut Ozil's asking price to £25m | Mail Online
That's it then. Chalets and Perez' promises seal the deal. Now Real Madrid will use the player's desires as leverage to lower the transfer fee.