Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Robert Lewandowski, Toni Kroos Rumours

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has played down speculation linking Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski with a move to the Spanish capital.

As reported by AS (h/t Goal), the 27-year-old’s agent was reportedly spotted at the Santiago Bernabeu recently, fuelling initial speculation about a move. However, Perez has insisted those drawing links as a result of the sighting are misguided.

“It’s been said we’re going to sign Lewandowski and that his agent came to the Bernabeu for that reason,” he said, per Joe Short of the Daily Express. “If I want to talk to Lewandowski and his representative, I wouldn’t invite [the agent] to my box.”

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

According to Sky Sports Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, there is genuine interest in the Polish international from the La Liga giants, as they see him as an ideal foil to their most expensive signing of all time, Gareth Bale. Here’s a look at why Lewandowski is rated as one of the top centre-forwards in world football:

This season, the former Borussia Dortmund man has taken his game on a level. Remarkably, Lewandowski wasn’t actually a guaranteed starter under the initial tutelage of manager Pep Guardiola, but since his five goals in nine minutes as a substitute against Wolfsburg earlier in the season, he’s become an immovable first-team component.

As these statistics from WhoScored.com reveal, Lewandowski has been in tremendous form throughout the campaign:

Real have always been a team that have chased the hottest strikers around, and the Bayern man would give them a poise in attacking areas which they have lacked at times this season without Karim Benzema. However, even with Los Blancos as potential suitors, if the German champions don’t want to sell, they won’t be bullied into letting the forward go.

Replacing their No. 9 would be a difficult challenge, after all. Bayern are blessed with some of the finest attacking players in world football, but none are an orthodox centre-forward like Lewandowski. Therefore, if Real do want him, they’ll most likely have to part with an enormous sum of money.

Toni Kroos Unhappy at Real

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

According to Frederic Hermel of El Chiringuito (h/t Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror), Real Madrid playmaker Toni Kroos has had enough of life at the Santiago Bernabeu and is ready to leave the club. Carlos Forjanes of AS writes Kroos is feeling "isolated and overlooked” under manager Rafael Benitez.

It’s suggested in Malyon’s piece Kroos has instructed his agent to find him a new team following a difficult year, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea all reported to be interested in the Germany international. It’s also claimed the 25-year-old was the only first-team player not to attend the club’s annual Christmas dinner on Wednesday evening. 

JAVIER SORIANO/Getty Images

As Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez recently noted, Benitez seems to prefer the industry of Casemiro to the intricacy of Kroos:

However, as we can see here courtesy of Football Funnys, the decision to take the former Bayern man out of the team seems to have bemused some other squad members:

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Isco's reaction when he saw Toni Kroos benched by Rafa Benitez. #Priceless pic.twitter.com/R8MGMBApXf

— Football Funnys (@FootballFunnys) December 16, 2015"

The German was excellent under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, dictating games with his superb passing range from the base of the Los Blancos midfield. It's a quality which doesn’t seem to be needed quite as much in Benitez’s pragmatic setup, though, meaning the impact of Kroos has been diminished.

If Kroos is to push for a way out of the Spanish capital, there will be no shortage of suitors. The World Cup winner is an adaptable player, an intelligent operator and arguably the finest passer of a football in the game at the moment. Madridistas, you'd suspect, will be desperate for any potential unrest to be resolved swiftly.