Time and tide wait for no one, and that might be the case for two of Real Madrid’s all-time legends as well. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are two of the best midfielders of their or any generation, and have been stalwarts in the middle of the park for Los Blancos for years. Yet, there are some question marks over their futures at Santiago Bernabeu.
On one hand, there have been suggestions that Kroos could already be considering retirement. On the other hand, rumours have broken out recently that Modric could be on his way out of Real Madrid soon and he has even been linked with a move to Al-Nassr.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham, and the Englishman is believed to be their priority target for next summer. Combine that with the recent form of Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos, as well as the struggles of Kroos and Modric after the World Cup break, and the situation is certainly interesting.
As reported by GOAL, Carlo Ancelotti said at a press conference about the situation:
"“They understand very well their role and what I ask them.“They know there’s a lot of quality inside this squad. It’s a moment of transition. I talked to them about this at the start of the season.”"
Real Madrid boss sends clear message regarding Kroos and Modric
Nothing stands still in football and sooner or later, Real Madrid will have to move on from the Kroos-Modric era as well. We have already seen Casemiro leave for Manchester United and Aurelien Tchouameni has done a great job of replacing him.
Yet, it might be too early to write either Kroos or Modric off. While they might not be performing at their usual levels in recent weeks, one cannot simply overlook their quality.
Even in the first half of this season, they were two of Real Madrid’s best performers and fans were hoping that they carried on for years to come. Modric was even one of the best at the World Cup, as Croatia finished third.
So, one should expect the legendary duo to rediscover their form soon and get back to contributing for Real Madrid.