What’s the story?
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos is willing to leave the Santiago Bernabeu for Manchester United, according to a report in Spanish news outlet Diario Gol. The German midfielder is considering a blockbuster deal from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, but will only leave Los Blancos if Zinedine Zidane’s side end the season without a trophy.
Previously
Toni Kroos was on the verge of joining Manchester United in the summer of 2014 from Bayern Munich. David Moyes, the United boss at that time, later went on to reveal that he had an agreement, saying “Toni Kroos was agreed to come in the summer. I had agreed it with Toni himself and his agent.”
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Eventually, Kroos decided to join Real Madrid that summer for a €25 million fee, going on to win a UEFA Champions League trophy with the club.
Also Read : Ex-Manchester United manager David Moyes reveals Toni Kroos snubbed the Red Devils
The heart of the matter
Toni Kroos has become integral to Real Madrid’s style of play under Zinedine Zidane, with the German now one of the first names on the teamsheet. Real Madrid seemed invincible when they went on a 40-game unbeaten run, but things have come crashing down since then.
Real Madrid crashed out of the Copa del Rey, and are 1 point behind Barcelona with a game in hand in the La Liga title race. Los Blancos’ round-of-16 clash with Napoli in the UEFA Champions League is of great significance – despite having a 2 goal lead into the second leg, Napoli are incredibly strong at home, and Madrid could realistically find themselves finishing the season without a major trophy (apart from the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Supercup).
If this situation occurs, the report claims that Toni Kroos will certainly leave Real Madrid. Manchester United have reportedly offered him 1.5x his current salary at Real Madrid, and will tempt the La Liga giants with a €80 million offer.
What next?
Real Madrid have bounced back most times any questions have been asked of them. They could still win a major trophy this season, and if that were to occur, the likelihood of Kroos remaining goes up.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Arguably one of the best central midfielders in the world, Toni Kroos would enhance any midfield. However, he would be especially perfect for Manchester United – replacing an aging Michael Carrick in midfield to allow Paul Pogba to flourish. Jose Mourinho is a huge fan, and could raid his former side to complete the jigsaw puzzle of his starting XI at Manchester United.
