Bayern Munich made the right choice to sell Toni Kroos to Real Madrid this summer, according to the Bavarian club’s chairman.
Karl Hopfner said the German league and cup champions couldn’t afford to lose the World Cup winning midfielder on a free transfer next summer, and with the 24-year-old unwilling to enter into talks over a new deal, the best decision was to sell him.
Kroos signed for Real in July in a deal thought to be worth around 25 million euros. Following an injury to Spaniard Javi Martinez, who is expected to be out for a year, Bayern then made their move in the transfer market and snapped up Xabi Alonso, paying five million euros for the 32-year-old.
Speaking to football newspaper Kicker, Hopfner said of Kroos: “In the case of Kroos, the board have definitely made the right choice. Toni did not renew and would have been a free agent in 2015. Hence, the premature separation was the right choice.”
Kroos grew up in the Bayern Munich youth teams and made 205 appearances for the club at first-team level. He played a key role in the club’s success in recent years, helping them win the Champions League, three league titles and the German Cup among the trophies.
