Over the last few seasons Real Madrid have seen a number of veteran players either retire or depart the club for the next step of their career. Players like Karim Benzema, Marcelo, and most recently Luka Modric have all seen their time at the club come to an end and the next chapter start.
However, the player who's impact of leaving has been felt the most is Toni Kroos. The German retired at the end of the 2023/24 season while still playing at the most elite level.
The club has been searching both internally as well as in the transfer market for an ideal replacement and the club has drawn up a wishlist of midfielders, similar to what fans would make in FIFA.
Real Madrid shortlist four of the best midfielders in Europe
As being reported by AS, in their hunt for a replacement for Toni Kroos, Real Madrid have a shortlist of four of the best midfielders in Europe. Those four being Rodri, Nicolo Barella, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernandez.
At first glance this is quite the ambitious list. Signing any one of these four would transform Real Madrid's midfield and would be a key piece in Xabi Alonso's goal of building an invincible squad.
If the goal of this list is to find their Kroos replacement, Rodri would be the one that fits the same tempo controlling profile the club is looking for.
However, signing any of these midfielders would prove difficult. All of them are under long-term contracts with their clubs, on high wages, and would all require a gargantuan fee to be signed.
One deal however, that could make sense would be a potential swap deal involving sending Rodrygo to Liverpool in exchange for Alexis Mac Allister. It's a stretch of a deal, but it could make sense given the interest in Rodrygo from the Premier League team.
All in all, while this looks like a dream FIFA transfer list, Real Madrid may not need to even sign a Kroos replacement. The club has a number of midfielders who could fill that role, including Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler, and the soon to arrive Franco Mastantuono.