Toni Kroos has revealed that he had agreed to a transfer to a Premier League team, but the deal fell through after the club dismissed their manager.
Kroos, who retired from football this summer, confessed that he had come to terms with …Continue Reading
However, as talks progressed, United fired Moyes and appointed Louis van Gaal as his replacement.
Under van Gaal’s leadership, the club chose not to move forward with signing Kroos, leading the midfielder to eventually join Real Madrid instead.
In an interview with SPORT1, Kroos said: “In 2014, before I signed with Real Madrid, I had already agreed with Manchester United.
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“That would have been a move from Bayern to United. But then they kicked out David Moyes, who I was still sitting on my couch with in Munich and hired Louis van Gaal. Then we both declined with thanks.”
As talks with Man United fell apart, Real swooped in, with Kroos enticed by the allure of the Santiago Bernabeu combined with the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti.
“The World Cup started, and Ancelotti got in touch – that was it,” Kroos explained.
Kroos had previously spoken of his failed move to United with the Athletic back in 2020. He explained: “Moyes came to me specifically and the contract was basically agreed. But then Moyes was sacked and Louis van Gaal took over.
“That complicated the matter. He wanted time to form his own project. I didn’t hear anything from United for quite a while and I started to have doubts.”
During his time in Madrid, Kroos claimed five Champions League titles, five Club World Cups, four UEFA Super Cups, four La Liga championships, a Copa del Rey, and four Spanish Super Cups.
His partnership in midfield with Luka Modric and Casemiro was crucial to the club’s dominance for nearly ten years.
Kroos decided to retire from professional football this summer following Germany’s exit from Euro 2024. Real Madrid has brought in players such as Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, and Aurelien Tchouameni to fill the void left by the veteran midfielder.
