Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has revealed he was close to joining Manchester United in the summer.
There has been a lot of talk surrounding the future of Toni Kroos lately. The German midfield maestro has his contract at Real Madrid expiring at the end of next season, with Manchester City among the clubs keeping close tabs on his situation.
Kroos has remained tight lipped on his future so far, but in a recent interview (h/t Tribal Football), he has offered interesting insights prior to his move to Real Madrid in 2014.
The German international has revealed he was close to joining Manchester United, shortly before his move to the Bernabeu. He has confirmed reports of David Moyes’s desire to sign him in 2014, with the then Manchester United manager personally travelling to Munich to hold talks with his family.
“I knew beforehand that United wanted me,” said Kroos. “And Moyes absolutely underlined that. It was a really nice afternoon with very pleasant people.. We talked a lot about United’s football plan, which convinced me.”
“But we also got to know each other as people. We knew quite a bit about the Moyes family afterwards. We talked about how we lived and how we all imagined life as a family.”
“In the end we broke up to do it. So we agreed verbally. The next step should be to look at everything on the spot in Manchester. The move would not have been that complicated – after all, we only had one child at the time, seven months old. It would all have worked,” said Kroos.
Unfortunately for Manchester United, the move broke down at the end, with Kroos opting to join Real Madrid. The German midfield maestro suggests he does not regret making the move to the Bernabeu and is rather grateful, having won three Champions League titles with the Spanish giants.
“I don’t have these what-if-thoughts. Because there are no real answers to them. The only thing I can say with certainty is that I probably wouldn’t have won the Champions League three times with Manchester United,” he added.
Poised to take a decision on his future at Real Madrid, Toni Kroos is currently waiting out for a contract extension that would seal his future at the Bernabeu for at least another year.
