Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran will take a final decision on his future in February
Toni Kroos’ decision to retire early from the German National Team faced a lot of criticism in the media last year. Though there were reports that he could make a comeback for the Qatar World Cup, he instantly denied any such possibility when asked.
It is clear that the midfielder is very firm on his decision and does not hesitate to stand by it irrespective of the pressure put on him. Now, his future at Real Madrid is in the air and the world awaits an announcement from the player as to whether he will continue to play next season or not.
According to reports from MARCA, Kroos will make his final decision in the month of February and communicate the same with the club. This implies another two months of anxiety in the offices of Real Madrid accompanied by uncertainty over the transfer strategy.
At just 32 years of age, Kroos still has plenty left in his tank to offer and continues to remain an integral part of Carlo Ancelotti’s setup at Real Madrid.
While one would feel that retirement would normally be out of the equation, the German has always been an advocate of early retirement and is contemplating a departure when his contract runs out this summer.
However, he has previously made it clear that he does not wish to play for another club at this stage in his career. So, if Kroos does not decide to renew with Real Madrid, retirement could very well be on the cards.
If that happens, Ancelotti must look to accelerate the signing of a new midfielder in the summer.
Enzo Fernandez and Jude Bellingham are the top names on the list, but both will come with a massive price tag. The wait till February will be long, but one hopes Kroos chooses continuity over a premature retirement.
According to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano (h/t Madrid Xtra), there is nothing concrete at the moment between Harry Kane and Real Madrid. The two parties have not held any talks and a potential transfer is distant.
Los Blancos’ admiration of the English striker is not a novel development for the Spanish giants have been monitoring his situation for a couple of seasons now.
Tottenham’s high financial demands coupled with Karim Benzema’s breathtaking form kept Kane’s pursuit out of sight, but the situation has now changed.
Real Madrid’s French striker may be the current Ballon d’Or holder but he has struggled to recreate his form this season. His subpar performances and age force the club to look for a new face and Kane is unsurprisingly back in the mix.
The England captain has a contract with Spurs that runs until 2024 and he has not agreed on a new deal with the Premier League side. His dire drought for trophies at the club level could force him to move to greener pastures and there is a long line of suitors awaiting his availability.
Manchester United and Bayern Munich both, like Real Madrid, are in need of a new centre-forward and thus join the Merengues in Kane’s pursuit.
The 29-year-old striker has started 28 Premier League games for Antonio Conte’s side this season, scoring a whopping 21 goals and providing two assists in the process. The fact that his goal tally came off a relatively low xG of 15.6 shows Kane’s effectiveness in front of the goal.
Karim Benzema is likely to renew for another season, but the summer could see the Galacticos go all out for a big-name striker. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are some of the other names considered, though it is clear that neither of them would arrive cheap.
