Real Madrid News
Real Madrid fear Toni Kroos will retire at the end of the season – report
As we enter the second half of the campaign, Real Madrid have their task cut out as they look to renew the contracts of several star players, who, as things stand right now, will become free agents at the end of the season.
The long list includes players such as Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos, along with Dani Ceballos. While Real Madrid are expected to receive positive responses from Modric and Benzema, there is some amount of uncertainty over the continuity of Kroos.
The German midfielder, who was not a part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has hinted in the past that he may opt for an early retirement. The former Bayern Munich start had announced his retirement from international football last year, shortly after Germany’s debacle at Euro 2020.
Although Kroos has continued to play at the top level for Real Madrid, notably emerging as one of the top performers in the UEFA Champions League last term, a report from AS (h/t Madrid Xtra) suggests that the midfielder may retire at the end of this season.
German players are no strangers when it comes to early retirements. Kroos, aged 32, has featured in 383 competitive matches for Real Madrid, helping Los Blancos secure five Champions League titles, among other accolades.
Kroos is one of the most-used players for Real Madrid even in the ongoing campaign, having featured in almost 1,400 minutes of football in all competitions.
His retirement, therefore, could serve as a major blow for Real Madrid, who are already scouting the market for midfield reinforcements next summer. The club have reportedly identified Jude Bellingham as one of the top targets, but Kroos’ departure may force them to invest in another young midfielder in 2023.
Kroos, though, is yet to announce his final decision. He has the option of extending his contract at Santiago Bernabeu for a further year, and the midfielder may come up with a final verdict soon after the turn of the year, with the club expecting a decision by the end of January.
There is no way back for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. The Belgian international has not given the management any reason to have faith in his abilities over his past four seasons at the club and is unsurprisingly the most important departure for the Merengues in the summer.
Hazard has one more year on his contract in Madrid. However, it is clear that Carlo Ancelotti does not trust him and that any potential replacement manager in the summer will echo his stance.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Fenerbahce are willing to go all out to sign Hazard this summer. The Turkish side have made the former Chelsea their prime target, yet face a steep task ahead of them.
The 32-year-old is hellbent on seeing out his contract with Los Blancos despite seeing his career sink right before his eyes. It thus becomes complicated for the party to lure away the forward, especially in a competition outside Europe’s top five leagues.
Fenerbahce attempted to sign the winger in the recently concluded winter transfer market. They reached an agreement with Real Madrid but failed to get over the line as they could not convince the player of the move.
The biggest obstacle for the Turkish side will be convincing Hazard to make the move by letting go of his lucrative contract in Madrid. The chances are slim, but not impossible.
Hazard has made just three league appearances and one start for Ancelotti’s side this season in La Liga, a steep fall from last season’s 18 and seven respectively.
His last appearance for the team came back in January when Real Madrid faced Cacereno in the Copa del Rey. In La Liga however, he last played in September 2022 in a 4-1 win over Mallorca.
