Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho confirms pursuit of Stuttgart's Sami Khedira--goal.com

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho confirms pursuit of Stuttgart's Sami Khedira--goal.com

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has confirmed he's interested in signing Stuttgart midfielder Sami Khedira this summer.

The 23-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of World Cup 2010 as Germany finished third, falling at the semi-final hurdle to eventual champions Spain.

Now the promising central midfielder has been identified as a key target for Mourinho, who says he wishes to sign one midfielder and one defender to add to his current La Liga squad.

It has been suggested that Khedira's buy-out clause sits at a mere €10 million (£8.4m), which certainly wouldn't stretch Madrid's purse too far.

"We're not going to be kings of the [transfer] market. I'll bet on the usual philosophy of Madrid, signing players with projection, with more room for learning," Mourinho told AS.

"We signed [Angel] Di Maria, who it's true that he was expensive [£25m], but he has great potential, and we go for [Sami] Khedira, with a huge room for improvement. It is a market direction that I love.

"We need a defender and a midfielder, but with balance and without dramatics. There is a great base from last season and that will give competition to the group.

"It is complicated, because when Madrid is interested in a player prices soar so astronomically."

Madrid have already captured Pedro Leon from Getafe, which suggests that if Khedira signs, a defender will be the final signing of the summer for los Merengues.