Khedira refused to reunite with Ancelotti as he signs for Hertha Berlin

Sami Khedira has snubbed Everton in favour of to joining German side Hertha Berlin.

The 33-year-old had been a long-term target for the Toffees but has signed for Hertha on a free transfer, after five and a half seasons at Juventus.

Everton were linked with a move for the World Cup winner, owing in part to Khedira being an integral part of Carlo Ancelotti's trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid.

During their time at the Bernabeu, Khedira and Ancelotti won the Champions League in 2014, as well as the Super Cup, Copa del Rey and FIFA club World Cup.

However a deal to bring the midfielder to Goodison Park never materialised with the player instead signing for Hertha on a reported two-and-a-half year contract.

'Hertha made a lot of effort to sign me and now offer me the chance to come back to the Bundesliga,' Khedira said in a statement on Hertha Berlin's website.

'I'm very grateful for that and I can hardly wait for the moment when I can wear the blue-and-white shirt out on the pitch for the first time. I feel good physically and I want to help the team to more sporting success with the experience I've gained over the past years.'

Khedira's arrival will come as a huge boost for Hertha, who have found themselves in a relegation battle and sit in 15th after earning just 17 points from 19 matches.

The midfielder returns to Germany where he first made his name after enjoying a successful spell at Juventus, having won five Serie A titles and four Coppa Italias in Italy.

Khedira, who also has 77 caps for Germany and has played for his national team at three World Cups, had treatment for an irregular heartbeat in February 2019 before successfully returning to action.

The former Real Madrid man has struggled with injuries in recent years and still had six months remaining on his Juventus deal but reached an agreement to end it early so he could join Hertha.