10 seasons full of flamboyant displays and consistent magic on the pitch are set to come to an end this summer as Real Madrid says farewell to one of the best midfielders of this generation, Toni Kroos. The 34-year-old has decided to hang up his boots following the conclusion of the Euros for both club and country, thus marking the end of an illustrious career and bidding adieu to one of the greatest masters of ball progression.
Midfielders like Kroos come once in a lifetime and it will be a substantial task even for a club like Real Madrid to replace him. He will leave an indelible mark in Los Blancos’ history but football goes on as life does. There have been a few names under the Real radar for the past few weeks and Chief Scout Juni Calafat is on the prowl to secure a big-name signing this summer in an attempt to substitute the German maestro.
Joshua Kimmich
Often likened to Toni Kroos for his passing vision and progression awareness, Joshua Kimmich will bring the right amount of tactical impetus and midfield dominance if he joins Real Madrid. Lauded for his leadership qualities on and off the pitch, the 29-year-old was forged by iron and fire by Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
Kimmich’s work ethic, versatility and defensive cognition make him a tank in midfield as he can orchestrate attacks from a deep-lying position while acting as an anti-counter. Under manager Hansi Flick, he played as a box-to-box midfielder, which further increased his ability to dominate the central parts of the pitch.
Kimmich is expected to replace Kroos in the German National Team as he will play a more central role than his right-back position. He has the grit and the patience to flourish himself anywhere.
Nicolo Barella
While not a Kroos-like presence in the midfield, Italian powerhouse Nicolo Barella has the capability to bring aggressive momentum on the pitch with his incredible interceptions and his knack to dictate the tempo of the game.
The 27-year-old has been one of the most loyal players in the Inter Milan ranks as his positive development in gameplay every season never led him astray from ditching his club. Barella can boast of having Kroos’ pinpoint passing range and apart from that, he brings the much-needed tenacity into the Real Madrid midfield.
Playing an influential role in Inter’s Serie A triumph in 2021 and 2024, and Italy’s EURO 2020 success, Barella blossoms in the team’s engine room whenever called into action. He makes a strong contender for the Real Madrid midfield spot and we might see the LaLiga-based side’s scouts taking a look at him this summer.
Florian Wirtz
Real Madrid are already linked with one of the key men in Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga and DFB Pokal victory this season as the Werkself gears up to make a huge profit by transferring Florian Wirtz to Madrid soon.
By leading Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten league campaign, Xabi Alonso has inflated the Bayer Leverkusen players’ values to about four times what they were about a year ago. Wirtz has been one of the most influential tactical figures on the pitch for the Spaniard, offering him versatility and providing the correct attacking momentum when the chance arises.
Unlike Kroos, fans cannot expect the 21-year-old to track back and support the defence on multiple occasions as he has a marked offensive mindset and always looks for opportunities to deal the lethal blow to the opposition. As for the Real Madrid tactical plan, Wirtz’s onboarding will send Jude Bellingham in a much deeper role and the German will have to take care of breaking the lines with his speedy runs and being a livewire throughout the match.
