Florentino Perez identifies 21-year-old Premier League star as replacement for Toni Kroos at Real Madrid: Reports

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is eyeing Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo as a potential replacement for Toni Kroos, as per El Nacional.

The German is in the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu and has recently rejected a proposal to extend his stay. Kroos will turn 33 in January 2023 and could contemplate retirement at the end of the season.

Madrid are keen on tying down Kroos on a new contract. However, he is yet to reach a concrete decision regarding his future with Los Blancos.

In the event that he leaves at the end of the campaign, the Spanish giants are eyeing Caicedo. The Ecuador international has immense potential and is a regular feature in the Seagulls' squad.

Toni Kroos will be supporting Germany from home this World Cup 🥺 https://t.co/jEq7SIfoZs

He has scored once this season in 13 games across competitions and is a crucial part of manager Roberto De Zerbi's first-team set-up. His contract expires in the summer of 2025 and Brighton will only listen to offers above €50 million.

Kroos' importance to manager Carlo Ancelotti's plans is reflected in the fact that he has played in 17 games across competitions this season. The former Bayern Munich midfielder has provided three assists during that time but it is his composure and confidence in the middle of the park that is his strongest suit.

He will not feature for Die Mannschaft at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar after retiring from international football in July 2021. He has 106 caps for the senior German team and was part of the squad that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Kroos is likely to decide on his future once the showpiece event in Qatar comes to a close.

Carlo Ancelotti has already given verdict on potential Toni Kroos contract talks at Real Madrid

Speaking at a press conference last month (h/t Managing Madrid), Ancelotti gave his two cents on Kroos' future at Real Madrid.

Toni Kroos on his future: “I will retire here at Real Madrid, I just don’t know when — I don’t want to play for any other club”. 🚨⚪️ #RealMadrid

“We have arranged a chat with the club in 2023 to discuss about my future, so I will decide next year”. https://t.co/UnvxbfoBy1

He said:

"We’ll speak after the World Cup, in January or February. Personally, I think he’ll stay on because he is doing well. He’s playing better than last season, when he had struggled in the first half of the campaign before a good second half of the season."

His most recent contribution came in Real Madrid's 5-1 UEFA Champions League win against Celtic in their final group-stage game of the season. Kroos played the full 90 minutes against the Scottish outfit and helped his team finish top of Group F, one point above RB Leipzig.