Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder’s contract renewal dependent on Kroos and Bellingham’s decisions
Real Madrid have some important decisions to make with regard to the contracts of several of their first-team players in the coming months. Midfield icons Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are among the stars whose contract runs out at the end of the season.
While Los Blancos are understood to be keen on retaining the veteran duo, a new report from MARCA has shed light on how Real Madrid want to handle the situation regarding their renewal.
Despite being 37 years old, Modric had been churning out top-level performances for the Merengues, although his levels dropped somewhat after the FIFA World Cup, where he led Croatia to a third-place finish.
Now, it must be remembered that Modric will be turning 38 in September, and considering that Real Madrid want to sign Jude Bellingham as well in the summer, they will have to decide whether they wish to offer a new contract to the Croatian international.
As per the report, Modric is yet to receive a proposal from the Spanish capital club. And it is stated that Real Madrid will wait for the decisions of Kroos and Bellingham before deciding on offering a new deal to the 37-year-old veteran.
Should Kroos agree to renew and Bellingham decide to join the Merengues, it is likely that Real Madrid will decide against offering a contract to Modric.
If Bellingham arrives from Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid see him as a starter and at the same time if Kroos signs a new contract, the club see it as difficult to fit Modric also in the plans as they look to complete a smooth transition from the old to the new.
The club directors believe that Bellingham would not be compatible with both Kroos and Modric on the pitch. And if one of them is unlikely to get an offer, it will be the latter.
Kroos, for his part, has said that a decision on his future will be made imminently. As for Bellingham, Real Madrid face stern competition from Manchester City and Liverpool.
And their decisions will dictate whether Los Blancos will offer a new contract to Modric or not.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder trained away from the group last week, but has no injury – report
With the international break underway, several Real Madrid players have been called up for national team assignments. The stars who have not travelled for international duty have continued to work at the club’s Valdebebas training facility to prepare for the restart.
Toni Kroos is one such player who has remained in Madrid, having retired from international football back in 2021.
However, there had been concerns growing around the 33-year-old’s physical condition as he regularly did indoor work last week and was not spotted in group training with his teammates.
Now, Sergio Quirante has come up with an update on Kroos’ situation, stating that even though the midfielder largely did individual work inside the facilities over the last week, he is fine and has no injuries.
Taking advantage of the international break, the former Bayern Munich superstar is understood to have gone through an individual program to prepare for the final, decisive stretch of the 2022/23 season.
Kroos not being injured comes as a big positive for Real Madrid, ahead of important games against Real Valladolid and Barcelona within the first five days of April.
The rest of the Real Madrid midfield contingent – Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Dani Ceballos – are all away on international duties and could return with some fatigue from the travel.
So, it is important that Kroos is fully fit and ready to go as Real Madrid look to cut down the gap to the top of the table in La Liga and also make it to the finals of the Copa del Rey by overturning a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Kroos has played 37 matches this season, chipping in with two goals and five assists in the process. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is still unclear whether he will renew or hang up his boots.
