Transfer News:
Manchester United’s slow business in the transfer market has been a contrast to the initial expectations that Jose Mourinho will go out all guns blazing this summer. Having signed Diogo Dalot, Fred and Lee Grant until now, it’s time that the club makes some quick signings that would straightaway improve the playing XI.
Accordingly, a recent report states that Toni Kroos might make a move to United, after spending four trophy-laden years at Real Madrid. Kroos was a part of the German national squad that was ousted from the group stages of the World Cup and the 28-year-old is someone who has been a pivotal part of both the German national setup and his two clubs over the years.
United have to compete with City to add depth and quality in the midfield area and hence signing Kroos could resolve a major issue with the squad.
Toni Kroos: Player Profile
Kroos is an exceptional midfield controller, someone who can adjust and revamp the tempo of the game with his intricate passing and quick buildup play from the midfield. His vision is quite unmatched amongst the current set of elite midfielders and his level of consistency is almost scary.
Kroos’ whole style of play is based on quick, short passes, occasional accurate long balls to find the forwards and the fact that he can take some sumptuous long-range shots. He is defensively sound and puts in a good shift in marking the opposition midfielders and closing down the space in the central areas.
His ability on the dead ball is quite commendable, as Kroos is usually in charge of the corner duties and free kicks from near the box for Germany. In 27 La Liga appearances last season, Kroos scored five goals and assisted seven times, whilst also recording a passing accuracy of 93.4%. He won two tackles and delivered 2.4 key passes per game, having taken 1.5 shots on target on an average.
Should United make a move?
Kroos will be a dream signing for the club but it currently seems impossible to lure him from Real Madrid. The Spanish giants let go of Cristiano Ronaldo and hence they would surely be in a period of transition for a couple of years. In order to keep their midfield intact, it is necessary to hold on to Kroos for now.
The German midfielder might have had a slightly inconsistent season(by his standards) last time around, but he is surely the pivotal figure for Real Madrid. Moreover, United haven’t enjoyed the best of transfer relations with Florentino Perez’s men in recent times and hence it would be difficult to lure such an important player within the span of two weeks.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored