Sami Khedira is still open to extending his contract with Real Madrid

Chelsea have regularly been linked to Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira, who was a favorite of Jose Mourinho's during his time at the club. The German international is out of contract at the end of June, and because of that has been linked to both Chelsea and Arsenal in recent times.

On Thursday, Khedira was not ruling out an extension with his current club, throwing a bit of cold water on some of the recent speculation:

"As of now, I see no reason to leave the club in the winter. Real Madrid are a great destination, and I have locked this club in my heart. There is no grounds for me to say that I want or that I have to leave."

"I said back then that I am not averse to signing a new contract, but my agent is still in talks with the club. We are top of the league in Spain, lead our Champions League group, and can win the FIFA Club World Cup. A lot of great challenges are waiting for me at Real. Moreover, I rate the coach highly because of his knowledge and his way of handling things. He gives me the feeling that I am needed."

"I was out injured for six weeks, and made the squad after only two training sessions with the team. That says everything about how the club and the coach bank on me. Once I am at 100 percent, I am a candidate for the starting lineup."

Frankly, I'm fine with Khedira extending with Real Madrid, and sort of hope he manages to get a deal done between now and January. He'd be a nice addition to Chelsea, though given the insane wages he'd command on a free transfer, he's not likely to be a massive bargain, especially as his new contract winds down. He's also been fairly injury prone of late, and has had several major knee issues that make wonder for how much longer he'll be an effective player.

On top of that, he's not a clear upgrade to Chelsea's starting eleven at present, yet he would be for a pair of Chelsea's Premier League rivals. Taking Khedira off the market probably decreases Real's need for a player like Paul Pogba, and potentially leaves Arsenal and Manchester United scrambling for a midfielder in January. Win-win...right?