Had Manchester United not sacked David Moyes in April 2014, there is every chance that Toni Kroos could currently be turning out for the Red Devils.
Indeed, it is understood that United had an agreement in place to sign the German international from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014, but the arrival of Louis van Gaal as head coach saw the deal fall through.
As it transpired, Kroos joined Real Madrid from Bayern, and the 2014 World Cup winner has landed one La Liga title, three Club World Cups and two Champions League titles during his time in the Spanish capital.
When considering that Kroos only cost Real Madrid in the region of £25m, his acquisition has to go down as one of the best deals in history. The central midfielder is fast closing on 200 appearances in all competitions for his Spanish club, and his numbers this season are again impressive. Indeed, in 29 appearances, Kroos has managed four goals and seven assists.
The German has won so much that you could be forgiven for thinking that he was entering the latter stages of his career. Kroos, however, is just 28, and his style of play is one that does not rely on physicality, which will stand him in good stead when it comes to prolonging his career at the top level of European football.
United blundered when they missed out on Kroos in 2014, but there are suggestions that the 20-time English champions could tempt him away from the Bernabeu at the end of the season.
Real Madrid impressively beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the first leg of their last-16 tie in the Champions League on Wednesday night, but Los Blancos are 17 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona, while they were dumped out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-final stage by a plucky Leganes outfit.
There will be movement both in and out of Real Madrid this summer, and Kroos could be one of those that is allowed to leave. He would cost United, but Los Blancos may well be open to a sale as they consider an ambitious swoop for Neymar, who continues to be linked with a return to Spain.
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United are crying out for a new central midfielder. Michael Carrick will hang up his boots this summer to take a coaching position with the club, while it is looking increasingly likely that Marouane Fellaini will leave following the expiration of his contract.
Ander Herrera won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award last season, but the Spaniard has only started eight Premier League matches during the 2017-18 campaign, and the 28-year-old is yet to convince Jose Mourinho that he is capable of being a key player for a team chasing the biggest prizes.
Mourinho has selected a 4-2-3-1 formation in each of United’s last two Premier League away matches, and they have lost them both. It is not a surprise that two of Paul Pogba’s worst performances came in the fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, with the Frenchman looking lost in a central two. Indeed, Nemanja Matic’s performances have also suffered.
According to the bookmakers, Manchester City, Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG are the five teams fancied to win the Champions League this season, and all five play 4-3-3. Granted, Real Madrid have switched with Isco in the side, but three central midfielders with one central striker and two wide attackers is the formation that has become more prevalent than any other at the top level.
Pogba’s statistics of three goals and 10 assists in 23 appearances for United this season are far from disastrous, but he is being misused in the current set-up. In fairness to Mourinho, Scott McTominay has been the only other central midfielder available in the last couple of matches, which is a further indication of the club’s need to spend big in that area of the field at the end of the season.
Kroos would be the perfect player for United. He does not have the physical attributes of a Pogba, nor the energy levels of an N’Golo Kante. He lacks pace in arguably the most important area of the field, but his use of the ball allows him to control the entire tempo of the match from a deep position.
If Carrick was eight years younger then the problem would be solved, but Kroos is the closest player out there that could bring the same qualities as the 36-year-old, who has been a wonderful servant to the Red Devils.
Kroos has a 92% pass accuracy in La Liga this season, and that rises to 94% in the Champions League. He is not a runner, nor a talker, but sitting alongside Matic in a deep position, the German would free Pogba further forward. Kroos has been picking out Cristiano Ronaldo for some time now, and there is no reason why the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku could not benefit from the presence of the pass master.
The 28-year-old has netted 11 times and registered 52 assists in 176 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions. Those numbers show that he either scores or sets up a teammate in one in every three matches, which is some record for a player operating in a deep midfield position.
There is no doubt that United would have to spend big on Kroos if Real Madrid made it clear that they would sell this summer, and a lot could depend on the German, who might well feel that his race is run at the Bernabeu.
One thing is for certain, Mourinho desperately needs to bring a new central midfielder to Old Trafford, and switching to a 4-3-3 formation with Kroos alongside Matic and Pogba could be the start of something very special indeed.
