A World Cup winner, Toni Kroos has been one of the elite midfielders in world football over the last decade and he's a player that every manager would love to have in the engine room of their midfield.
However, now approaching his 30s Kroos is someone that could just be on the decline, and after a mediocre campaign so far at the heart of Real Madrid's midfield this season, he is a player that should be avoided by the top clubs.
A multiple Champions League winner for Real, Kroos could recapture some of his old sparkle with the return of Zinedine Zidane to the Spanish heavyweights, but he is being linked with a move away from the Bernabeu - despite having three more years on his contract - and a host of Premier League clubs could be eyeing him up as a possible midfield solution.
Manchester United are a club ready to revitalise their midfield after the departure of Jose Mourinho and the emergence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and if Solskjaer is handed the full-time job at the end of the season then he will be eager to get stuck into the transfer market.
Kroos nearly joined United six years ago from Bayern Munich, but Real managed to lure him to the Spanish capital, however, Kroos could be available at the right price for United, who are in desperate need of strengthening in the off-season.
Marouane Fellaini has left the club, while there's still some loose ends to tie up when it comes to Ander Herrera's contract. Nemanja Matic is a player that is certainly not going to improve over the next couple of years as the former Chelsea man gets into the twilight of his career, so the United midfield must be made around Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
Solskjaer's emergence at the helm at Old Trafford has ignited a sense of optimism around the Theatre of Dreams and their phenomenal comeback win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 clash was predominantly triggered by a new youthful United squad, with teenagers now given the confidence to play by the Norwegian.
Should Kroos become available for United then while he may bring some much-needed quality into central areas, it would be a real negative transfer for the multiple Premier League champions, as they need a real boost in youthful talents to get them challenging the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for Premier League success, and Kroos could have the same look to the signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger a few years ago.
Kroos has much more to offer than Schweinsteiger did, but the playmaking midfielder is a man that can sometimes slow the play down, and United need to return the pace and power of the 1990/2000s teams put together from Sir Alex Ferguson, so Solskjaer should eye up a more exciting young prospect.
While the experience would aid younger talents coming through, the likes of Pogba and Lingard have blossomed this season and they can be the driving force behind a United side that should be looking to drop the average age of their squad down and try to ignite a resurgence in a club that has gone stale in recent seasons.
