The news of Toni Kroos’ retirement from professional football has struck Real Madrid like a rod of lightning.
There is much disappointment and grief in the Real Madrid dressing room after the midfielder decided to hang up his career this summer, meaning the upcoming Champions League final will be his last game as a Real Madrid players
With Kroos retiring after Euro 2024, Real Madrid management now has the daunting task of finding a replacement.
Florian Wirtz emerges as a replacement
According to SportBILD, though, it appears Real Madrid have identified the ideal long-term replacement for Toni Kroos, in the form of Florian Wirtz.
The report suggests that Los Blancos see the Bayer Leverkusen starlet as someone who can replace Kroos in the years to come.
Can Wirtz replace Kroos at Real Madrid?
As such, Real Madrid are closely monitoring the situation of the German international, who has emerged as one of the best young players in world football.
Real Madrid to target Leverkusen duo in 2025?
Despite the club’s interest in Wirtz, Real Madrid are unlikely to find themselves in a position to go after the young attacker in the coming summer.
The Spanish champions are already occupied with the acquisition of Kylian Mbappe, which should take a heavy toll on the club’s finances.
A more realistic avenue for Real Madrid, therefore, will be to approach Wirtz in 2025. Curiously, Los Blancos are eyeing a move for Xabi Alonso around the same time.
The Spanish tactician has been identified as a potential replacement for Ancelotti. Having played a crucial role behind Wirtz’s rapid rise to prominence, one would expect Alonso to play a key role in convincing the German to join follow him in Madrid come 2024
Real Madrid players publicly ask star midfielder to take Kroos’ no.8 shirt following emotional messagePublished 7 mins ago on May 21, 2024By Aaryan Parasnis
Toni Kroos’ retirement has come shocking to the world of football. In a matter of hours, many legends of the sport have shared a personal message for the German midfielder – particularly his teammates.
Now, Federico Valverde has also shared an emotional message for Kroos via his personal social media handle. Her post read:
“I guess when we were kids, we all had an idol. Someone we admire, someone we see on TV and think ‘I want to be like that’.
“And if we are children with a lot of imagination, we can dream that you are playing with a ball. idol, distant, untouchable, difficult to reach. That boy is me. This boy made his dream come true and got to play with the player he always admired.
“Today, with a strange, lumpy feeling in my throat, I know that this child will love playing with you for another ten years, and so will I, Toni. Because I never stopped being that kid who always looked up to you. “Heir No. 8” and “Now it’s your turn to follow in your brother’s footsteps.”
Previous reports have suggested that Valverde will be the chosen replacement Kroos, but there are still some unknowns about whether this player is willing to keep his current shirt number 15 or not.
Currently, Valverde has played a total of 256 matches for Real Madrid, scoring 21 goals and assisted 23 more goals.
Besides, From the Uruguayan’s incredible numbers, Kroos himself called this player “the three best players in the world” in 2022.
With Valverde’s campaign at Real Madrid, with the approval of Kroos and his teammates pushing 25 years- Winning the legendary shirt number, it seems certain Valverde will choose to fulfill his childhood dream.