Real Madrid midfielder aspires to take over Toni Kroos’ No. 8 shirt | OneFootball

Toni Kroos’ recent retirement announcement sent shockwaves through the footballing world. More importantly for Real Madrid, it will leave a gaping hole in the team’s midfield unit next season.

Contrary to expectations, though, Real Madrid are not scrambling for a replacement and are willing to wait until 2025 to find someone in the market.

Until then, Real Madrid may assess several in-house replacement options, one of whom is Federico Valverde.

Valverde’s great desire to become the number 8

A recent report from Diario AS has pointed out that Federico Valverde is one of the players gunning for the right number eight shirt after Kroos announced his retirement.

The German will play his last game for Real Madrid on June 1, meaning the iconic number eight jersey will be up for grabs next season.

Valverde is keen on taking Kroos’ spot next season (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

That is where Valverde comes into the fray. Valverde’s ambition isn’t limited to simply occupying the vacated midfield position. The 25-year-old Uruguayan has openly expressed his admiration for Kroos, stating, “I never stopped being that child who admired you.”

This admiration translates into a fervent desire to inherit not just Kroos’ position, but also his iconic number 8 jersey. Kroos himself, after all, had hinted that he might mentor the Uruguayan international into becoming the next ‘number eight’.

Challenge from Tchouameni?

The report adds that there could be a potential challenger to Valverde’s ambitions in the form of Aurelien Tchouameni.

However, seniority plays a key role in such situations. Valverde’s established presence at the club gives him a clear edge over the recently arrived Frenchman.

In any case, Real Madrid would ideally like to assess all the options before deciding who gets to replace Kroos in the long run.