Can Toni Kroos fit into Manchester United's midfield?
Kroos has been heavily linked to Manchester United
Manchester United, who currently sit 7th in the Premier League, are rumoured to be targeting several big players this transfer window but the man leading the pack is Bayern Munich’s pass master Toni Kroos. The 24-year-old has not signed a new contract with the Baverians yet as he is still considering his future which has made a potential move to the Red Devils a possibility. Kroos is a versatile player and can do a lot for David Moyes’ side if he arrives at Old Trafford this summer.
The Germany international showed Manchester United fans just what he can do when he is in full form during the Champions League game against Arsenal. Kroos was rampant against the Gunners and completed 144 of his passes which was 6 less than the entire Arsenal team. The midfielder topped his performance with a stunning goal which helped Bayern progress in the competition.
Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola has used Kroos in an attacking role this season but the midfielder is capable of dropping deep and playing as a holding midfielder too. Former Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes used Kroos in a holding role last season which turned out to be a great success and the midfielder netted 11 goals in 39 appearances coupled with 8 assists.
Kroos’ stats are also something to drool over. The midfielder has a pass success of 91.9% in the Bundesliga and has managed to complete 94.5% of his passes in the Champions League which is nothing short of sensational. One can only imagine what Manchester United will be like if they have a player like Kroos in their ranks. The players attacking prowess is superb and has had at least 1.9 shots on target per game in the Bundesliga and 2.7 shots on target in the Champions League. Kroos has made at least 1.3 key passes per game in Germany this season which highlights his importance to Bayern.
The German maestro never shuns away from performing his defensive duties for his team and has averaged at least 1.7 tackles per game in the Bundesliga and at least 2.4 tackles in the Champions League. The midfielder will be a perfect replacement for the ageing Michael Carrick who will turn 33 in July.
If Manchester United manage to pull off a coup and capture Kroos next season the main problem will be accommodating the player. Kroos’ chances of playing in an attacking role for United look slim as Mata, Januzaj and Kagawa are slowly beginning to fill these roles quite well. Kroos’ signing shouldn’t cause Mata’s position to be affected as the latter has shown everyone that he performs best when he plays in his preferred role behind the striker.
The Spaniard was pushed towards the wing in his first few games and wasn’t as effective over there but as soon as he was played in his preferred position behind the striker he scored 3 goals in his last 2 games. David Moyes must have taken note of that and will most likely rotate the strikers when Rooney and RvP return from injury in order to get the best out of Mata.
A 4-2-3-1 formation with Kroos playing in a holding role along side Michael Carrick could work wonders but that would cause Fellaini to lose his place in the squad. Granted Fellaini has failed to impress after his £27 million move from Everton and has performed horribly most of the time especially in the game against Newcastle where he was all elbows but relegating him to the bench will not make him a better player.
A 4-1-2-3 formation could accommodate Kroos in an attacking role with both Carrick and Fellaini in the squad but that would mean pushing Mata back on the wing again and Kagawa, who has formed an understanding with Mata, would be completely shut out of the squad. As of now dropping Fellaini and playing Kroos alongside Carrick looks like the only realistic option.
If David Moyes somehow manages to figure out a solution to this problem then well and good. If not then Manchester United fans will have to settle for watching Kroos work his magic with another team.