- 3 hours ago
Premier League scramble as Toni Kroos offered up for free
Stuart Telford
- 29 Oct 2023 07:33 CDT
- 3 min read
A host of Premier League clubs are set to bid for Toni Kroos' services next summer with the Real Madrid legend available on a free transfer.
Kroos has won three La Ligas and four Champions Leagues since joining Real from Bayern Munich for just €25 million in the summer of 2014, days after he won the World Cup with Germany.
An undoubted club legend, he has been nudged down the pecking order this season, however. Jude Bellingham was the star summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, and the Englishman has scored 13 goals in 13 games with the team built around him.
READ: Real Madrid's 10 best transfers of all time
That has meant the relatively youthful running power of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde in the three behind him, with Kroos and fellow club legend Luka Modric left watching on more often than they would like.
Toni Kroos is unimpressed with Spain prodigy Gabri Veiga's move to Al-Ahli.
Do you agree with him? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/NPPIwLpWMp— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 24, 2023
Kroos 'keen to look elsewhere'
"And with his current Real contract entering its final eight months, Kroos is available for a move - and keen to look elsewhere to bring the curtain down on his glittering career," reports the Daily Star's Harry Pratt.
"Both Manchester clubs, Newcastle and Chelsea are among those in and around the top half of the table aware of the situation surrounding the German central midfielder, who turns 34 in January."
READ: When does the contract of every Real Madrid player expire?
Kroos, whose highest ETV was €61.9m per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, is still valued at €11.3m, so he would represent a steal in financial terms, let alone still being a talented player.
Man City might be considered favourites to secure Kroos' signature. Pep Guardiola previously managed the player at Bayern and was one of the loudest voices calling for an improved contract when the midfielder first left for Spain.
Newcastle might feel it is worth stealing a march in January, however, having seen summer signing Sandro Tonali handed a 10-month ban for gambling offences.
