Speculation has been going on for weeks now about where Germany midfielder Toni Kroos will be playing his football next season.
The 24-year-old has one year remaining in his contract at Bayern Munich but has failed to put pen-to-paper on a new deal, leading to talk he will leave the Allianz Arena. Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked with moves for Kroos, but it looks very likely he will be playing his football at the Santiago Bernabeu with Real Madrid next season.
The player himself said last week has had made his decision but wouldn’t reveal it until after the World Cup. And yesterday, Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer said it would hurt to see Kroos leave, but playing for Los Blancos would be priceless.
Assuming he does arrive in the Spanish capital then – how would he fit in? And what would his arrival mean for other players in the squad?
What does the Kroos transfer mean for the other clubs involved? Read more
at these blogs:
A pair of suggested starting XI’s for Pep Guardiola in 2014-15: fcbayerncentral.com
How Toni Kroos could have transformed Manchester United’s midfield: thepeoplesperson.com
Kroos showed what he was all about in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Brazil earlier this week in the semi-final of the World Cup. Along with Sami Khedira, he controlled the midfield, and his pass completion rate was in incredible 91%.
His versatility in midfield would be a great bonus for Carlo Ancelotti. Kroos is just as capable of playing a holding midfield role as he would be pushing forward in a more attacking midfield role assisting the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
He range of passing would be a superb asset, and the BBC would take great delight in running off defenders onto the perfectly weighted through balls that Kroos would provide.
Kroos also has the right temperament and wouldn’t feel the pressure of playing for such an illustrious club should be complete the switch to the 10-time European Cup winners, as many predict he will, possibly by next week.
But what his impact have on players already in Ancelotti’s squad? The obvious casualty once again is Isco. The former Malaga man found it tough last season to establish a role in the team following Ancelotti’s switch from a 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3. The once heralded future of Spanish football found himself frozen out, and not picked for the World Cup either. Should Kroos arrive, Isco may want to consider his options as he would fall even further down the pecking order.
Xabi Alonso isn’t getting any younger, and Kroos could actually be the ideal replacement for the brilliant Spaniard. Asier Illarramendi was signed last season as the potential long-term replacement for Alonso, but after a disappointing opening campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, he could be on his way out on a loan spell to get more regular first team football and rebuild his confidence. Casemiro, another young central midfielder, has also been linked with a move away on a temporary basis.
Ironically, the arrival of Kroos could also spell the end of his compatriot Sami Khedira’s career in Spain. The former Stuttgart man has 12 months left on his deal and has been attracting the interest of Arsenal in recent weeks.
At 25 million euros, signing Kroos would be an absolute bargain. And with a midfield of Alonso, Kroos and Modric playing behind Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo, Los Blancos would be a fearsome prospect to come up against in La Liga and the Champions League next season.
He will perfectly fit our mid field along side MODRIC AND ALONSO.