Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ‘positive’ about midfield ace’s renewal – Fabrizio Romano
Estadio de La Ceramica saw an unusual span of ninety minutes on Saturday night when Real Madrid were thoroughly outclassed. Villarreal seemed to be several notches superior to Carlo Ancelotti’s men, putting the defending champions under immense pressure.
Slowly, mistakes crept into the visitors’ game and they eventually crumbled to a 2-1 defeat. Yet, if there was one player who maintained his high standard through the storm last night, it was Toni Kroos.
The German International is the engine of Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, and rumours of his possible retirement at the end of the season have taken the world by shock. After all, he still has a lot to offer at the highest level at the age of 33.
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano via AMP, there are good chances that Kroos will continue at Real Madrid beyond this season. The feeling at the club’s offices is positive and a definitive statement is expected in the coming month.
The player’s decision is key for Real Madrid’s future planning for his departure would force the club to splash the cash on reinforcement in the summer. Jude Bellingham is already on the team’s agenda, but the veteran’s retirement could push them to scout another talent.
The 33-year-old has been indispensable for Ancelotti this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists in 13 La Liga appearances. He averages a whopping 95 touches and two key passes per game in addition to his six defensive actions.
The club have put a proposal for a one-year extension on the table for Kroos and expect a reply at least by the beginning of February.
Real Madrid are blessed to have the services and loyalty of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. The duo have run the show in the Merengues’ midfield for close to a decade and continue to deliver flawless performances to date.
Of the two, however, it is the Croatian who deserves the higher credit. The veteran is now 37 years of age, yet dominates the middle of the park with grace and poise like none other.
Stephen Estuaqio, an FC Porto player and Canada International, spoke earlier this week about why he considered Luka Modric to be a special player and compared him with Kevin de Bruyne to support his stance.
“I played against De Bruyne, but I ran behind Modrić. I couldn’t play against him. It’s crazy how he dictates the game and controls everything. It was a lesson for me,” he said on The 90th minute on Youtube.
With his contract running out next season, Real Madrid are looking to renew his deal by one year come June. Yet, it is difficult to see him continue beyond next season and his imminent departure will mark the end of an era at the club.
Thus, Modric could be an altered role come next season. With a young midfielder, possibly Jude Bellingham set to arrive, the veteran could move into a mentorship role with the occasional appearance in big games.
This season, however, Carlo Ancelotti will continue to use him as one of the backbones of the side and deploy the maestro in the must-win fixtures coming up later this month.
At 37 years of age, Modric has started 16 La Liga games over 24 appearances this season in the competition. He has scored four goals and provided three assists in that process in addition to creating eight big chances with an average of 1.8 key passes per game.
