Real Madrid like Manchester City ‘untouchable’ as potential Kroos replacement | OneFootball

Real Madrid icon Toni Kroos dropped a huge bombshell on Tuesday when he announced that he will be retiring this summer.

The German midfield legend has only two more games left in Real Madrid colours while he will play for Die Mannschaft in the Euros before hanging up his boots for good.

Kroos’ imminent retirement comes as a huge blow for Los Blancos and is bound to leave a gaping hole in their midfield department.

And while it has been suggested that the new La Liga champions are not actively pursuing a replacement right away, they are taking a glance at the market for possible options.

Real Madrid like Rodri

As such, AS reports that Manchester City midfield heavyweight Rodri is one of the two players that Real Madrid like as a possible replacement for Kroos.

The 27-year-old Spanish national team captain is a player that Real Madrid admire and see as a top addition to their midfield department if an opportunity presents itself.

Real Madrid admire Rodri. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the game currently, Rodri is considered an absolute ‘untouchable’ at Man City and convincing them to part ways with him will be extremely hard.

After all, Rodri is seen as one of the key cogs in the Cityzens’ project along with Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, and has a contract that runs until 2027.

As such, if Los Blancos do intend to go after him they would have to negotiate a fee with Manchester City and the player would also likely have to accept a lower wage than what he currently earns.

At this point, there is nothing concrete beyond Real Madrid’s admiration. Even if the Merengues do look to sign a new midfielder, it will likely be in 2025, at which point Rodri would have two years left on his contract.