Real Madrid News
Real Madrid legend reveals he was close to signing for Manchester United
Toni Kroos, who recently retired from football, has made a revelation that he was very close to joining Manchester United after his time at Bayern Munich.
During an episode of the podcast ‘Einfach mal luppen,’ which he co-hosts with his brother Felix, Kroos shared the story of how his move to the Red Devils fell apart.
The transfer did not happen because of a sudden managerial change at Old Trafford, which altered the course of his career.
What really happened?
According to Kroos, everything was set for him to sign with Manchester United before he ended up at Real Madrid. He had already agreed on the deal when David Moyes was still in charge of the team.
“Before signing for Real Madrid in 2014, I had an agreement with Manchester United,” said the former midfielder as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
However, the situation took a sharp turn when Moyes was sacked, causing the deal to collapse. At that point, Louis van Gaal took over as manager, and both parties decided not to move forward with the transfer.
“They sacked David Moyes, who I was still sitting with on my sofa in Munich. It was very nice for him to be sitting in our house with his wife. Then they hired Van Gaal and we both politely declined,” he added.
A legend at Real Madrid
As a result of this twist, Kroos signed with Real Madrid instead, a decision that would shape his career for the next decade.
At Madrid, Kroos went on to establish himself as a true legend, playing more than 400 matches for the club and becoming a key figure in the midfield.
His time in the Spanish capital was filled with silverware, as he helped the team secure an incredible 23 trophies, including five Champions League titles.
Had Moyes not been dismissed by Manchester United, the story of Kroos’ career could have been vastly different. Instead, he became one of the most celebrated players in Real Madrid’s modern history, ending his career on a high note.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
