Florentino Perez is paying a heavy price for failing to buy a replacement for the incredibly influential German, who retired last summer
Real Madrid fans turned up at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday anticipating another miracle. What they got was a mess, the inevitable result of Florentino Perez's negligence.
Madrid spent the majority of the evening bombarding the Arsenal area with crosses and long balls but, as a bitterly frustrated Thibaut Courtois pointed out, it was an exercise in futility, given Joselu wasn't there to get on the end of them.
But then, it wasn't as if Madrid had the guile in midfield to pick holes in the Gunners' backline. Indeed, Joselu wasn't the only member of last year's double-winners who was sorely missed across both legs of the humiliating 5-1 aggregate loss to Arsenal. Toni Kroos was also conspicuous by his absence – because Perez failed to replace him, too, and that's proven an even bigger oversight on the part of the president.
With the great Luka Modric now well past his best, Madrid no longer have a single player capable of dictating the play or opening up defences in the same way that the Croat and Kroos did for a decade. Truth be told, the whole make-up of the midfield looks wrong, with Aurelien Tchouameni clearly not good enough to serve as the kind of No.6 that a team like Madrid requires, and Eduardo Camavinga still a work in progress. Even Jude Bellingham's free role looks like a luxury Real can ill-afford as those stationed in front of him do so little from a defensive perspective.
It's clear, then, that Madrid need to belatedly find another Kroos – or the next best thing – if they are to reclaim their place at the summit of European football. Below, GOAL runs through six possible solutions to Real's defensive midfield problem…
Getty Images SportRyan Gravenberch
It's always a worrying sign for any club when the agent of one of their star players starts mentioning Madrid in the media. Consequently, Liverpool will now be on red alert after Ryan Gravenberch's representative, Jose Rodriguez, talked up his clients of a move to the Bernabeu in an interview with .
"He's good enough for Real Madrid," Rodriguez said. "We would love for him to play for them, but Liverpool would ask for a lot of money. I know they've had their eye on him, but now it's impossible."
Of course, impossible is nothing as far as Madrid are concerned. They nearly always get what they want, and having already nicked Trent Alexander-Arnold off Liverpool for nothing, it does seem believable that they've been looking at Gravenberch too.
The Dutchman is still very much learning on the job, but he's been a revelation since being deployed as a No.6 by Arne Slot this season, and has the kind of passing range and press-resistant dribbling skills that would make him ideal for the base of the Madrid midfield.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlexis Mac Allister
Liverpool may have tired a tad in the second half of the season, which is the main reason why they were upset by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League, but when they met Madrid at Anfield in November, they played with the kind of intensity and aggression Real have lacked nearly all season long.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were completely overwhelmed on the night in question, thanks in no small part to a Player-of-the-Match-winning display from Alexis Mac Allister, who not only opened the scoring on Merseyside but also incessantly pressed Bellingham, Modric and Camavinga to the point of distraction in a 2-0 win that was far more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests.
So, while Federico Valverde, who played at right-back on Merseyside, is capable of bringing a similar level of energy to Madrid games, it's not come as a shock to see reports in recent days claiming that Mac Allister is one of their summer transfer targets.
However, as with Gravenberch, it would take a colossal sum of money for Liverpool to even consider parting company with the Argentine World Cup winner, who is an incredibly versatile and influential player – and still only 26.
AFPAngelo Stiller
Madrid aren't the only ones looking for a Kroos replacement. Germany need one too following the veteran playmaker's retirement after Euro 2024, and coach Julian Nagelsmann has publicly admitted that he is hoping Angelo Stiller can fill the void.
The 24-year-old, who has also been compared to another tremendously combative but creative defensive midfielder in Joshua Kimmich, certainly shares some of Kroos' qualities. He reads the game well, has good vision and is a fantastically precise passer of the ball.
On the downside, Stiller signed a new deal with Stuttgart in January and his reported €40 million (£34m/$45m) buyout clause doesn't come into effect until 2026. However, Madrid might try to tempt the Bundesliga outfit with a bigger bid this summer, particularly as Liverpool are also said to be very interested.
Getty Images SportAdam Wharton
Adam Wharton is 21 years old and has still only made 33 appearances in the Premier League – and yet it feels like only a matter of time before he's snapped up by a top team.
The presumption remains that it'll be one of England's elite that eventually agrees to pay Crystal Palace a hefty sum of money for the classy former Blackburn Rovers midfielder, whose confidence in possession and intelligent use of the ball are rare in one so young. Manchester City may even have moved for him during the winter window had Wharton not been injured at the time.
However, according to the, Madrid's chief scout Juni Calafat is also a big admirer of Wharton, who made England's Euro 2024 squad less than six months after leaving Ewood Park. So, while a switch to the Bernabeu still seems a little far-fetched due to his lack of experience at the very highest level, Wharton is definitely one to keep an eye on – particularly if he maintains his current rapid rate of progression.
