Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder to leave club after contract expires, has informed locker room – report
It’s no secret that Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos is pondering early retirement. The 32-year-old’s current deal with the capital club runs until 2023 and if journalist Sergio Santos is to be believed, the World Cup winner will hang his boots for the good by then.
Santos quotes that Kroos has repeated his intentions to his teammates on many occasions in the past. And while his companions are aware of his peculiar nature, they do not really understand whether to take this seriously or not.
However, as the months have progressed, it seems as if the German will, indeed, stay true to his words. The main idea behind an early retirement for Kroos is the end his career on a high.
Basically, he wants to live the phrase “You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain.” At only 32 years of age, it’s fair to say that the German still has a lot to offer, but he does not really want to continue until the time his body gives up.
“I don’t see myself playing at 36,” Kroos mentioned back in 2016 when he renewed his Real Madrid deal. This goes on to show that the decision is something that has not been taken just yet. In fact, it’s been on his mind ever since.
Following Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Barcelona, manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked whether Kroos will really end his career prematurely, to which the Italian said,
“He knows what we all think: me, the teammates, the club. Nothing more. We don’t need to push him, he’s so serious, so professional… Whatever decision he makes, we’ll be happy.”
It’s not that Real Madrid have made peace with his decision altogether. In fact, they have already offered him a new deal, but Kroos prefers to wait.
Now, waiting does not necessarily mean he would end up renewing. “When this contract ends, I’m leaving,” this is what the World Cup winner has repeated to his teammates in the locker room and the decision will stay intact.
So for now, all Real Madrid can do is to churn everything possible out of the 32-year-old this season. Once that is done, they can start the hunt eventually.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
