Manchester United and Chelsea set to battle each other over free transfer of Real Madrid star – Reports

Manchester United and Chelsea are allegedly in a race to rope in Real Madrid star Toni Kroos at the end of his current contract next summer.

Kroos, 33, is widely considered to be one of the best deep-lying playmakers of his generation. Since joining Los Blancos from Bayern Munich in a £22 million deal in 2014, he has lifted three La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns, apart from 13 other trophies.

However, the German has suffered a decrease in his involvement in Real Madrid's first-team plans this campaign. He has started seven of his 13 appearances across all competitions, racking up 691 minutes.

Now, according to Football Transfers, Kroos has drawn attention from Manchester United and Chelsea, with his Real Madrid contract set to run out in June 2024. He could opt to leave in light of Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde's constant rise in stature at his current club.

Should Kroos move to Manchester United, he could pop up as a starter on a short-term basis due to his world-class passing and awareness. He could, however, face competition from Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, both of whom have lately shown negative signs of aging.

On the other hand, should the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner join Chelsea, he could prove to be a clever arrival for them. He would introduce experience to their young midfield and could mentor some of the up-and-coming stars such as Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Kroos, who has one goal and three assists this season, has recorded 28 goals and 92 assists in 430 appearances for Real Madrid so far.

Real Madrid and Chelsea told to spend £87 million to sign ex-Manchester United target

According to 90min, Real Madrid and Chelsea are keen to sign former Manchester United target and Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez. They are both set to face competition from Arsenal and Inter Milan.

However, Los Blancos are believed to not consider the 22-year-old as a key target right now. They are focussing on summer operations to rope in Kylian Mbappe and Alphonso Davies ahead of next season.

Meanwhile, Feyenoord are unwilling to offload the Chelsea target. They have set a £87 million price tag on the Mexican, who has scored 15 goals and provided three assists in 12 matches this campaign.

Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, the Cruz Azul academy graduate was linked with a move to Manchester United. However, a transfer did not materialise as the Red Devils chose to sign Rasmus Hojlund.