Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has lifted the lid on his failed transfer to Manchester United, having come close to joining the club under David Moyes.
Kroos will be plotting a way past United’s neighbours this evening as Real host Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with Liverpool lying in wait in the final in Paris. Had things turned out differently though, the Germany international could have been the answer to the midfield problems at Old Trafford.
The 32-year-old has revealed how he had spoken with former United boss Moyes during the 2013/14 season ahead of completing a move to the club from Bayern Munich. Moyes had made the trip to Germany to meet Kroos and his family, with the midfielder going on to give his word on a potential transfer.
“I knew beforehand that United wanted me,” Kroos said in quotes carried by the Daily Mail. “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.”
Everything looked to be in place for Kroos to make his way to United during the summer of 2014, when the midfielder would of course help Germany to lift their fourth World Cup. The move fell through though when Moyes was sacked in April.
The former United boss had been the driving force behind the deal, having held discussions with Kroos’ representatives. While the club remained interested in the midfielder, the situation had changed, and he would instead make the move to Real, where he remains to this day.
“I'm not someone who thinks about hypotheticals,” Kroos added. “Yes, it was close. I almost went to Manchester United. But that's not how things turned out.
“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.”
Kroos could well find himself looking for a new club soon, with his contract at the Bernabeu expiring next year. The possibility of finally completing a move to United though looks to have disappeared.
“United is too big a club to be there for a year or two,” Kroos said. “This is not a club where you go to finish your career. You have to be there for three or four years and both the player and club must have a clear idea.”
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