3 potential replacements for Toni Kroos at Real Madrid
Toni Kroos is among the most talented midfielders of his generation. He has been a key player for Real Madrid since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window of 2014.
He has played 383 games in all competitions for Los Blancos so far, registering 26 goals and 87 assists. The German helped the Madrid outfit win three La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies, among other honors.
Kroos has been part of the Champions League Team of the Season five times and was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI thrice.
However, the 32-year-old's contract at the Bernabeu Stadium is set to expire at the end of the current season. Talks over a new contract have not made any progress in recent months.
It will be a tall task to find a replacement for the German star, but here is a list of three long-term replacements for Toni Kroos at Real Madrid.
#1 Jude Bellingham
Regarded among the most promising players in Europe, Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham could be the perfect replacement for Toni Kroos.
He joined Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City in the summer window of 2020. Bellingham has caught everyone's attention with his athleticism, technique, work rate, dribbling and passing skills at Signal Iduna Park. He has played 119 games across competitions so far, registering 19 goals and 21 assists.
The Englishman won the 'VDV Bundesliga Best Newcomer of the Season' award for the 2020-21 season. He was also included in the 'VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season' last term.
Borussia Dortmund are open to selling him for the right price next summer and Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United are all in the race to sign him. Carlo Ancelotti has a potentially tough task to bring him to the Bernabeu Stadium.
#2 Enzo Fernandez
Benfica's Enzo Fernandez enjoyed a dream FIFA World Cup 2022 winning campaign with Argentina. He was among La Albiceleste's top performers as they lifted the World Cup trophy for the first time since 1986.
Fernandez played seven games in Qatar, registering one goal and one assist. He was named the tournament's 'Best Young Player' for his performances.
Lionel Messi is the first player to win multiple World Cup Golden Ball awards.
Emiliano Martínez is the first non-European goalkeeper to win the Golden Glove award.
Enzo Fernández is the third South American to win Best Young Player after Teófilo Cubillas and Pelé. https://t.co/YymKhvtp0m
The Benfica midfielder's key strengths are his passing and tackling skills, along with his ability to invade the opposition press and play incisive passes.
According to WhoScored, Fernandez has averaged 1.1 shots, 0.9 key passes and 3.1 tackles per 90 minutes in the FIFA World Cup. Apart from that, he has also completed 87.6 percent of his attempted passes in Qatar.
According to Spanish publication AS, Carlo Ancelotti is impressed with Enzo Fernandez's performances at the FIFA World Cup 2022 and could make an effort to sign him next summer. However, they will have to match Benfica's tall asking price of £105 million to bring him to Madrid.
#3 Sergej Milinković-Savić
Sergej Milinković-Savić has been a consistent performer since joining Lazio from Genk during the summer window of 2016. He has played 314 games (in all competitions) for the Eagles so far, registering 63 goals and 58 assists.
The Serbia international is a highly technical midfielder who is known for his passing and ball-carrying skills. He also has a penchant for finding his teammates in key goalscoring positions. Milinković-Savić has made 14 Serie A appearances this season, scoring three goals and assisting seven more.
🎖️| Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s dream is to play for Real Madrid. @MatteMoretto
🚨🎖️| Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s dream is to play for Real Madrid. @MatteMoretto https://t.co/cUzi21DCz9
Milnković-Savić will enter the last year of his contract at Lazio at the end of the current season. Talks over a new contract have not made any progress in recent weeks and the Eagles could look to cash in for him next summer.
According to Calciomercatoweb, Real Madrid are among the clubs who have shown interest in signing the talented Serbian. It could potentially see him make a move to the Spanish capital to replace Toni Kroos at the end of the current season.