In a major development, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic reports that Real Madrid are in talks with legendary former midfielder Toni Kroos over a potential return to the club.
There had already been murmurs about Los Blancos considering bringing in the former German international, who retired in 2024, to the club in some capacity before next season.
Talks underway
Now, Cortegana confirms that it is indeed the plan and talks are already taking place behind the scenes for Kroos to make an iconic comeback to Real Madrid.
While he would not be stepping onto the field again for Los Blancos, the idea is for Kroos to have a new role within the club’s sporting structure with key responsibilities.
It would be similar to the strategy Real Madrid used with another club legend, Zinedine Zidane, bringing him back into the club setup in 2010 in an advisory role before he eventually went on to become the manager.
Kroos to return home? (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Kroos is highly valued at the club and those in the offices believe that the former midfielder can add a lot to the club with decisions on squad planning, day-to-day contributions on the training ground, and even representing Real Madrid as an ambassador.
Moreover, his experience of the dressing-room dynamics, as well as his ‘character’ and ‘judgement’ are also seen as major positives at Valdebebas.
The idea has been brewing for some time now and talks are now taking place, with Real Madrid’s relationship with Kroos being very strong.
So, it will not come as a surprise to see the former midfielder make a comeback to the Santiago Bernabeu, even though his exact role is yet to be defined.
If he does return, Kroos would work very closely with the highest decision-makers at Real Madrid – president Florentino Perez, general manager Jose Angel Sanchez and chief scout Juni Calafat.