"Experienced players who set the tone" – Joe Cole urges Chelsea to make surprise move for Real Madrid duo

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has urged his former team to add Real Madrid pair Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to their squad this summer.

The Blues, who are in 11th place in the 2023-24 Premier League standings with 39 points from 27 outings, underwent a midfield overhaul past year. They parted ways with N'Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. To fill the void, they signed Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Romeo Lavia in 2023.

Despite splashing around £300 million on new midfielders last year, Chelsea have struggled to consistently dominate the centre of the park so far this campaign. As a result, Cole has urged Mauricio Pochettino's outfit to add much-needed experience to their midfield soon.

Speaking recently to talkSPORT, Cole asserted that Modric and Kroos could have a positive impact on Chelsea's young midfielders should they be roped in. He said (h/t TEAMtalk):

"I'd be looking to bring in some experienced players who set the tone. I'm thinking is Luka Modric out of [contract]? Does he want to come and play in the Premier League for one more year? He's still doing bits at Real Madrid. And how much has he helped [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Aurelien] Tchouameni and [Federico] Valverde? He would've had such an influence on them as players."

Cole, who helped the Blues lift three Premier League titles, concluded:

"Toni Kroos is 34. Does he want to test himself at his age? Coming over here and helping out this young squad. They're just name I've thrown off the top of my head, I don't know their situation."

Despite their growing ages, both Modric and Kroos have been quite crucial to Real Madrid's campaign so far. While the 38-year-old has assisted six times in 17 starts, the latter has laid out seven assists in 26 starts.

Chelsea in race to sign Real Madrid target

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have joined the transfer race to sign LOSC Lille defender Leny Yoro. They have earmarked the 18-year-old as an ideal successor to veteran centre-back Thiago Silva.

However, Chelsea are likely to face tough competition from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer. Meanwhile, Lille are unwilling to sell their youth product ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 term.

Yoro, whose contract is set to expire in June 2025, has emerged as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe this season. He has helped Lille record 19 shutouts in 35 appearances so far, scoring three goals.