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Toni Kroos has been an influential figure for Real Madrid over the years. He became an instant hit at the Bernabeu when he joined from Bayern Munich in 2014 and had started in nearly every matches for Los Blancos in his debut season. Unfortunately, now the time is ticking for him.
The German has been criticized because of his lack of contributions, scoring zero goals while providing only 2 assists in the league for his team this season. His minimum goal involvement, coupled with Cristiano Ronaldo's departure is putting Los Blancos in another crisis.
Several reports state that Madrid are willing to sell the 29 years old. However, replacing the legendary midfielder would be no small feat for the club. Here we will take a look at several alternatives to Kroos who Madrid could consider to sign.
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#1 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic has been Juventus's undisputed deep playmaker after Andrea Pirlo's departure. Many know that the Bosnian is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in Serie A following his career resurgence at AS Roma.
He has been the orchestrator behind the league's leading attackers such as Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain (on loan to Chelsea). This season Pjanic has created 2.3 key passes on average in the league, similar to Kroos' numbers, while the ex Roma player has scored more than his Madrid counterpart.
His playmaking traits could make him the perfect replacement for the German. The 28-year-old also has known for his excellent free kicks and could be a huge help for Madrid to score goals in dead-ball situations.
#2 Adrien Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot has been hit by a contract extension problem this season. PSG have been freezing him from their squad since December after he refused to extend his stay at Parc des Princes. This contract situation has alarmed many European giants, including Real Madrid.
Rabiot is noticeable for his passing abilities and shares pretty much similar traits to the German. He has masterminded superstars such as Neymar and Mbappe at PSG for years. This season Rabiot has produced more league goals than his Madrid counterpart despite having significantly fewer game time.
#3 Ilkay Gundogan
Ilkay Gundogan's contract situations at Manchester City is still uncertain. Apart from his inconsistencies, his overall performance is excellent and, the German has been an essential figure for Pep Guardiola's squad.
The 28-year-old is known for his ability to dictate play with his beautiful passes and could do well in handling Kroos' main job in delivering the ball. Not just ball deliveries, the ex Dortmund player also has an eye for goal.
He has directly involved in 7 goals in the league this season, significantly better than Kroos's and would help the Los Blancos to improve their overall productivity. His superb long shot ability would surely be a massive help for a Madrid team that struggles to score, especially knowing that most of Madrid's opposition would defend deep.
