When Toni Kroos announced his retirement following the 2023/24 season, many Real Madrid fans feared for the worst and for the most part, they've been proven right. Kroos is a one-of-one midfielder and the most underrated player to ever play for Real Madrid, so replacing him was going to be nearly impossible.
Real have tried their best with players like Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Arda Guler, but none even come close to the German. They are all extremely talented players without a doubt, but as mentioned earlier, Toni Kroos is a one-of-a-kind player, and there are very few out there who add to the game what he added.
Given the midfield play of Real Madrid over the last season and a half, Kroos was clearly the glue that held the midfield together and is the kind of player Los Blancos are missing most. His ability to control the tempo and pick out a pass from anywhere on the pitch is desperately needed, and while there is no player around today like Kroos, there are a few who hit the kind of profile Real Madrid is looking for.
Let's look at three midfield options Real Madrid could sign to finally replace Toni Kroos, in order from most to least likely.
3 midfielders Real Madrid could sign to replace Toni Kroos
Angelo Stiller
First we have a fellow German international, that being Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller. Stiller has been a sensation in the Bundesliga over the last few season, establishing himself as one of the best young midfielders in the world and he seems all but destined for a big move away next summer.
Stiller has been linked with Real Madrid in the past, as it is said Xabi Alonso is a big fan of the midfielder, having faced off against him several times during his time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen and saw qualities in him that would fit his Real Madrid system perfectly.
The German is a key player for the Bundesliga side, so he wouldn't be cheap by any means, but he wouldn't be out of Real Madrid's price range. Stuttgart would demand a fee of around €60-70 million, so not cheap, but also not out of this world by any means.
Angelo Stiller even gets approval from, you guessed it, Toni Kroos.
Rodri
Next we have another name that has been linked with Real Madrid time and time again, Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Many believe the Spaniard would be the perfect Kroos replacement as his deeper laying, tempo controlling play style is almost a perfect mirror image of what Kroos brought to Real Madrid.
However, this season is doing Rodri no justice in getting a potential blockbuster move to Real Madrid. The midfielder has been injured almost the entire season, and when he'll return is still unknown. He is still only 29-years-old but his recent injury record over the last two years should be a bit of a worrying sign for Real Madrid as they consider their midfield options this summer.
Aleksandar Pavlovic
Finally, we have the most unrealistic option but arguably the best, Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic. The 21-year-old has been a sensation for Bayern Munich over the last few seasons debuting as a teenager, and is the closest we have seen to Toni Kroos since Kroos himself.
Pavlovic mirrors Toni Kroos' play style to a T. At only 21, he is a key player in the Bayern midfield, at times more important than veterans of the game like Joshua Kimmich.
His ability to control the entire tempo of a match, his composure and calmness on the ball and is passing range are all second to none, and he is without a doubt the best young midfielder in world football today.
Unfortunately, a move to Los Blancos is almost impossible, having just signed a new contract, and with Bayern demanding a fee of well over €100 million, a move for Pavlovic won't be happening any time soon, but one can dream, right?