Real Madrid legend talks about the hole in midfield after his retirement – “I’m not coming back” | OneFootball

Ever since the retirement of Toni Kroos, Real Madrid have found it difficult to find someone to replace him in the heart of the midfield.

Carlo Ancelotti had tried his luck with the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, but both Frenchman have struggled from injuries and have just not been able to plug the gap left by Kroos.

Kroos talks about his absence in the Real Madrid team

In a recent interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t DAZN), Toni Kroos has acknowledged that his retirement has hurt Real Madrid greatly.

The German has also admitted that Los Blancos have failed to find a replacement for him in the middle of the park.

“It’s true Real Madrid are missing a profile like mine, and they’re still looking for one. I’m not coming back and they know it,” he said.

Toni Kroos retired from club football after the end of the 2023/24 campaign, ending a spell at Santiago Bernabeu that saw him feature in 465 competitive matches for the club.

Toni Kroos has been one of Real Madrid’s best midfielders in the 21st century (Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

During this time, Kroos established himself as one of the best midfielders in world football, even winning countless accolades.

In the same interview, Kroos even admitted that finding a replacement for him won’t be an easy task for Real Madrid.

“The problem is there aren’t many players like that, and the ones who exist aren’t easy to get,” he said.

Many may consider Kroos’ statements quite arrogant, but very few will disagree his observations as Real Madrid have indeed failed to replace him in midfield.

The club have been linked with many players in the transfer market, including Martin Zubimendi. But the Spanish international ended up joining Arsenal.

The Spanish giants have yet to close the door on the market, but it is unlikely Real Madrid will bring in a fresh new midfielder this summer.