Manchester United have been linked with a move for Toni Kroos again this summer with Jose Mourinho said to be a keen admirer of the midfielder.
Although there are several obvious stumbling blocks to any deal going through, if United were able to somehow capture the 26 year old it would mark a real signal that they are heading in the right direction to once again challenge the elite clubs in Europe.
This is not the first time that the English club have weighed up the possibility of a move for Kroos.
David Moyes recently admitted he was keen to bring the German to Old Trafford at the start of his his brief reign in Manchester as the long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.
The perfect foil
Certainly, Kroos would have had a better chance of filling that void than any of the midfielders United have bought since.
Speculation has built up again over the last 6 months with many reports even long before Jose Mourinho was officially appointed Man United boss, suggesting that Kroos was going to be top of his shopping list this summer.
Central midfield has certainly been a problem area for the Red Devils in recent years.
Numbers aren’t the problem but of the current crop, there is nobody who really stands out as the man to really step up and be a dominant force in the middle of the park for years to come.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick are the wrong side of 30 while the likes of Herrera and Schneiderlin are yet to really do enough to suggest they are going to step up and become central midfield dynamos of the ilk of a Scholes or Keane.
With Paul Pogba supposedly on the verge of re-joining the club, United’s midfield problems will be significantly decreased and the composed passing game of Kroos would be the perfect foil for the dynamic Frenchman.
Unrealistic move
However, realistically this isn’t a move that is likely to happen.
A Real Madrid clearout which may have paved the way for the transfer now looks less likely given their Champions League win in May and Kroos has already publicly stated his intention is to stay at the Bernabeu, where he remains a key player.
Real Madrid have given no indication that they are looking to sell the German and should they lose out to Manchester United in the race for Pogba, they are likely to be even less willing sellers.
Therefore, while a central midfield pairing of Pogba and Kroos would be enough to get Manchester United fans genuinely looking forward to the new campaign with real optimism, it is highly unlikely they will be able to land both players particularly given their lack of Champions League involvement.
Written by Mark Sochon
Follow Mark on Twitter @tikitakagol
Check out his brilliant blog on all things La Liga, Tiki-Taka-Gol!
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