Real Madrid Signs Mesut Ozil

German star Mesut Ozil has signed with Spanish giants Real Madrid, the team announced on its website Tuesday.

The 21-year-old midfielder had a coming-out party at the 2010 World Cup and helped pilot Germany's impressive run in South Africa. The young squad finished third in the competition overall, and after tallying one goal in seven matches, Ozil was named just one of 10 nominees for the competition's esteemed Golden Ball Award (eventually won by Diego Forlan).

Ozil's arrival at the Bernabeu gives Real Madrid yet another weapon in its swollen arsenal. A graceful, attack-minded midfielder, the former Werder Bremen playmaker will have to compete with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Kaka and Rafael Van der Vaart -- not to mention rising stars like 19-year-old Sergio Canales -- for time on the pitch. And to be sure, the midfield can be a crowded place for The Whites; Van der Vaart, for example, started just 16 Primera Liga matches last season despite the Dutchman being widely seen as a top European talent.

Ozil's signing comes just a few weeks after Real Madrid signed fellow German national-team midfielder Sami Khedira.

Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in La Liga in 2009-10. It last won the Spanish league title in 2007-08, and its last Champions League title came in 2002.