Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has urged Federico Valverde to take more risks on the pitch. The German midfielder retired this summer, bringing an end to an illustrious career with club and country.
When Kroos arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2014, he was already a global star. However, the German immortalized himself with Los Blancos, winning countless trophies and achieving great success. Kroos outlined the Uruguayan midfielder as his successor at the end of last season, even handing him his fabled No. 8 shirt.
Real Madrid have enjoyed a decent start to the new campaign, registering 10 wins in 13 games. Federico Valverde has been an omnipresent figure in midfield, starting every game.
However, it is safe to say that Los Blancos have missed Toni Kroos this season. Even with the firepower of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo Goes, the LaLiga giants haven’t dominated games.
The issues appears to be in midfield, as highlighted by MARCA in a recent report. Kroos made 0.98 switches per game last season, completing 0.78 of them. The majority of them were played to Valverde or Dani Carvajal.
This season, the Uruguayan has been the pick of the lot in Carlo Ancelotti’s team, but it hasn’t been up to Kroos’ level. The 26-year-old has registered 0.5 attempts per game, completing 0.43.
However, speaking recently to MARCA, the former Germany international insisted that he believes in Valverde.
“I believe in Fede and it’s time for him to take the risks I took on the pitch,” said Kroos.
Valverde has registered three goals and two assists from 13 games across competitions for Real Madrid this season.
Will Real Madrid sign a new midfielder in 2025?
Real Madrid could be tempted to rope in a new face to fill the void left behind by Toni Kroos. Recent reports have suggested that they have their eyes on Rodri, who could be a fine fit for the job.
However, the Spaniard is under contract with Manchester City until 2027 and prising him away won’t be easy. The 28-year-old’s next move could also be linked with Pep Guardiola’s future.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos might also be tempted to recruit Joshua Kimmich, whose contract with Bayern Munich expires next summer. The German midfielder is yet to sign an extension with the Bavarians and is also being courted by Barcelona. Kimmich could be the ideal replacement for Toni Kroos in Real Madrid’s midfield, but he will turn 30 in February, which could be a dealbreaker for the club.
