Former Real Madrid midfield maestro Toni Kroos has boldly declared that the Spanish giants are yet to replace him, stating that his influence in the centre of the park is still sorely missed.
Since appointing Xabi Alonso as manager earlier this summer, Real Madrid have shown signs of promise, particularly at the FIFA Club World Cup, where they reached the semifinals.
As Softfootball reported, Alonso was backed in the transfer market with the signings of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen to reinforce the right-back and centre-back positions, respectively.
However, despite the strong showing in the Club World Cup, midfield creativity and control, once masterfully orchestrated by the duo of Kroos and Luka Modrić, appear to be missing.
In a candid interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Kroos acknowledged that his unique playing style and impact have yet to be replicated.
They’re still missing a profile like mine; they’re still looking for it,
he said.
There aren’t many players like that, and the ones that do exist aren’t easy to get.
He added that while it’s too early to fully judge Alonso’s era, he’s confident the Spaniard has the tools and insight to guide Madrid through the transitional phase.
It’s too early to judge Xabi’s Real Madrid. It takes time to evaluate the changes and the implementation of his ideas,
Kroos said.
I’m sure Xabi knows how to correct things, as there are things that need to change. With so much quality, things have to go well.
Although Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos never played together at Madrid, with Alonso leaving the club just as Kroos arrived from Bayern Munich in 2014, Kroos has shown strong support for the new manager and believes he can succeed at the Bernabéu.
Interestingly, Softfootball can confirm that club president Florentino Pérez reportedly blocked a move for Martin Zubimendi who later joined Arsenal in a £55 million deal. Zubimendi had been touted as one of the few midfielders in Europe with a similar deep-lying playmaker profile to Kroos.
Whether Real Madrid can eventually find a true successor to Toni Kroos remains to be seen, but his absence is already a topic of conversation and possibly concern for the new era at the club.
