Real Madrid has completed the signing of midfielder Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich. The 24-year-old German international has signed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants and reigning European champions.
According to reports in the Spanish capital, Kroos will be presented in the Royal Box this afternoon at the Santiago Bernabeu. He will then step onto the pitch for the first time wearing a Real Madrid shirt which will don his new shirt number — eight.
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper AS, the former-Bayern Munich player had this to say about his move to Madrid: “Coming here is a dream come true.” When further pressed about playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the German midfielder said: “He’s a great player, but Madrid have other fantastic footballers.”
The transfer fee for Kroos’ switch from the Bundesliga champions to the champions of Europe is believed to be in the region of £20m.
Real Madrid are showing that the club has no plans on paring back its transfer spending after ending a 12-year wait for the UEFA Champions League.
The purchase of Kroos from Bayern Munich may be overshadowed in the coming days and weeks if a rumored move for AS Monaco’s James Rodriguez comes to fruition.
The Colombian midfield star has been on many footballing experts radar for some time, but his six-goal, two-assist performance for his country during the World Cup has placed him firmly on the global stage.
Real Madrid has been hot on the 23-year-old’s trail. And some news outlets in Spain have reported that the club and player have agreed to personal terms. All that’s left is for the Madrid club to negotiate the transfer of the attacking midfielder from Monaco.
Speculation is that any deal for Rodriguez will cost the Spanish giants between €70-80m (£55.4-63.3m).
After purchasing Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a record-breaking £85.3m last summer, Real Madrid are showing no signs of slowing down in the transfer market.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has sanctioned more than £600m ($1 billion) of signings since 2000.
And, for the second year in a row, Forbes has named Real Madrid as the most valuable sports team in the world.
According to the annual list, the current champions of Europe are worth $3.44 billion (£2b) then are followed by Barcelona $3.2b (£1.9b) and Manchester United $2.81b (£1.6b).
The value of teams is calculated based on equity, debt and stadium deals.
