Manchester City will swoop for a timeless Real Madrid star in a move which will please Pep Guardiola, a report has claimed.
Despite their squad being one of those most stacked in world football, City are always looking to strengthen. And their Spanish manager often has a player in mind who would be an ideal fit. After all, he’s managed in Spain, Germany and now England.
Guardiola’s path has therefore crossed with many top talents, and now one is on his radar as a transfer target.
That’s according to El Nacional, who report Guardiola is hoping to lure Real midfielder Toni Kroos to Manchester.
Kroos, 31, has been a regular fixture for the Spanish club and the German national team for a number of years.
However, his position in Madrid is now in doubt because of the emergence of the new generation of stars.
The duo of Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga are seen as the future of the Los Blancos midfield. At 23 and 18 years old respectively, they hold massive potential.
Kroos, in contrast, has less than two years left on his contract. And there’s concerns that his opportunities may grow more limited as time passes.
As such, he is choosing to bide his time over his future. The report says he will not make any decisions until the start of 2022.
That will give him enough time to see how valuable manager Carlo Ancelotti sees him.
Up until recently he has not been able to discover this. That’s because since Euro 2020 he has been absent through injury.
Kroos made his return in the recent shock Champions League defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol. He has started the two following games.
The midfielder spent just one season under Guardiola at Bayern Munich, who wanted him to stay but couldn’t change his mind about leaving for Real.
Shrewd Pep out in force
Meanwhile, City are reportedly in talks to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, who will be out on contract next summer.
They are not alone in these discussions, though. Fellow Premier League side Tottenham are involved too.
The 28-year-old German has become a key player for Thomas Tuchel and was instrumental in the Blues winning the Champions League last term.
However, his contract runs out at the end of the season and so far negotiations over a new one have completely stalled.
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