Manchester United want to sign Toni Kroos from Real Madrid
By Alex McVey
Rumors suggest that Manchester United are interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos this summer. Could Kroos be on his way out?
Real Madrid had a quiet winter transfer window, leaving their roster entirely unchanged during the month of January. With manager Zinedine Zidane opting to stay the course with the squad he currently has at his disposal, it looks like Club President Florentino Perez will have to wait til the summer to do any major squad rehauls.
But now, rumors are starting to emerge which could provide some insight into the future transfer business affecting Real Madrid. Specifically, rumors are now suggesting that Toni Kroos could be on his way out of the Spanish capital this summer.
The Independent are reporting that Manchester United have made Kroos their No. 1 transfer target for the summer. The paper suggests that Kroos would partner with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic in the midfield, rather than as a Pogba replacement as some have speculated. The Daily Star and Goal.com have both picked up this rumor and ran with it.
Like most of the Real Madrid squad, it’s been an up and down season for Toni Kroos. As Kiyan Sobhani from Managing Madrid has observed, Kroos is being required to do a monumental amount of work at both ends of the pitch in Zidane’s system, which occasionally makes him look like a liability in defense. And at the beginning of the season, Kroos’ characteristically automatic passing seemed to be flagging a bit. Nevertheless, Kroos has put in strong performances lately, including a standout performance against PSG.
Real Madrid got the “bargain of the century” when Kroos transferred to Madrid from Bayern Munich, acquiring his services for the low, low price of €25 million. While Kroos is now three years older, he also has two more Champions League trophies on his CV, and still looks to be an amazing asset for any football team.
Kroos is currently 28 years old. Real Madrid will have a tough decision to make this summer if Manchester United come in with giant offer for the German’s signature. On the one hand, they could stand to turn a major profit from Kroos’ sale. It would also free up space on the lineup for the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Marcos Llorente who still haven’t had the chance to shine with Modric and Kroos in front of them.
On the other hand, losing Kroos could cost more on the pitch than any transfer fee would ever be able to reimburse. Kroos has been a mainstay of this team for its recent period of monumental success, and provides a calm and stability to the team on the pitch that is truly unparalleled.
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Only time will tell whether Kroos will remain in White next season, or whether he’ll be plying his trade with the Red Devils from Manchester. One thing’s for certain: as long as they have Kroos, Real Madrid have a real asset on their hands.