Manchester United Transfer News: Toni Kroos Competition in Latest Rumours

Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly both interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos in the summer.

According to El Confidencial, while United have been linked with a move for the German as of late, City are also monitoring developments (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness).

It's suggested City boss Pep Guardiola, who worked with Kroos during his spell as Bayern Munich head coach, is a big admirer of the midfielder and wants to add him to his squad as part of his "eternal pursuit of excellency with a ball."

United, by contrast, will see Michael Carrick retire from playing in the summer, while Marouane Fellaini's contract is also set to expire. Jose Mourinho will need to bolster his side's midfield options as a result. Miguel Delaney of The Independent recently suggested Kroos is the club's main summer target.

Kroos is reportedly excited by the prospect of a move after four seasons with Real Madrid and "understands that he is facing a good opportunity to try a new, attractive, emerging, different and seductive market."

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If either United or City were able to strike an agreement with Real Madrid for Kroos, his signing would be a coup. As we can see here, the 28-year-old is one of the most decorated players of his generation:

Kroos is one of the world's best midfielders and, alongside Luka Modric, has been a key part of Madrid's dominance of European football in recent years.

The German is the brain of Zinedine Zidane's side. He is as good as any midfielder in the world in possession, showcasing a tremendous technical ability whenever he takes to the field. Kroos' passing range is unmatched, as he's able to ping long passes out to the flanks or knock delicate balls into his team-mates' feet.

As OptaJose noted at the start of the season, the Red Devils got a firsthand look at what Kroos is capable of in the UEFA Super Cup:

It's easy to see how a move to either Manchester club would benefit Kroos, as he has the talent to thrive in either setup.

He would be excellent in unison with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic at United, allowing the former to roam forward and the latter to focus on defensive duties. At City, in a team that is so focused on possession-based football, he would be able to pick teams apart from deep.

Football writer Liam Canning suggested earlier in the season that the Germany international may fancy a change of scenery after some recent struggles for the Spanish champions:

While there have been times this season when Madrid's side has looked in need of some refreshing, it would be a surprise if they were to sell someone as talented as Kroos.

Even though Real would be able to command an extraordinary sum of money for the midfielder, there is nobody in football capable of dictating a game better than Kroos when he's at his best. With than in mind, Los Blancos will surely want to keep him around for a while yet.