Kroos reveals how floundering Man Utd caused Old Trafford move to fail
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has revealed how a dream move to Manchester United six years ago went from almost being completed to being dead in the water.
Kroos made his name in his native Germany with Bayern Munich and rose to prominence across Europe, eventually being hailed as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders on the continent ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
At that particular juncture, United boss David Moyes was under pressure following a tough season which saw the Red Devils go from Premier League champions under Sir Alex Ferguson to finishing seventh.
United were heavily linked with a move for Kroos at the end of the 2013/14 season and, speaking to The Athletic, the German international has revealed just how close he came to moving to England.
“David Moyes had come to see me and the contract had basically been done but then Moyes was fired and Louis van Gaal came in, which complicated matters,” the midfielder said.
“Louis wanted time to build his own project. I didn’t hear anything from United for a while and started having doubts.
“Then the World Cup started and [then Real Madrid boss] Carlo Ancelotti called. And that was it.”
Kroos went on to win the World Cup with Germany that summer before sealing a move to Madrid, where the midfielder has won LaLiga and the Champions League three times, among other honours.
The 30-year-old, who signed an extension to his contract last year, has four years remaining on that deal but has again been linked with United, amid speculation that Paul Pogba could move to the Spanish capital at the end of the season.
In other news, United reportedly came close to signing Bayern sensation Alphonso Davies back in 2017.
Davies starred in his side’s Champions League win over Chelsea on Tuesday and, according to the Manchester Evening News, the youngster rejected a three-week trial at Old Trafford in favour of spending time with the Canada national team.
