- Real Madrid linked with a big-money swoop for Neymar in the future
- €200m+ price-tag could mean sales to fund the move
- Shock name emerges along with Bale as possible sacrifice to sign Brazilian
- READ MORE: Man Utd in £50m transfer battle over Real Madrid star, offer falls way short of valuation
It doesn’t make a great deal of sense to us, but it’s reported in Spain that Real Madrid could sell Toni Kroos in order to raise funds to sign Neymar.
The German international arrived at the Bernabeu in 2014, and has gone on to make 169 appearances for the Spanish giants while collecting an incredible trophy haul.
Kroos has won La Liga, two Champions League trophies and three FIFA Club World Cups with Los Blancos, as he continues to play a fundamental role under Zinedine Zidane.
According to Don Balon, as re-reported by The Express though, it’s claimed that the 27-year-old could be sacrificed as Real Madrid look to put together the funds to prise Neymar away from Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s quite the ambitious plan, as the report adds that while Neymar could cost around €250m, Madrid president Florentino Perez could bring in €100m from the sale of Kroos and add that to the pot along with an exit for Gareth Bale.
Man Utd, Man City and PSG are all mentioned as possible destinations for the midfield star.
It seems like a pretty risky strategy in truth, as while Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos could step in and replace Kroos, those are big shoes to fill regardless of whether or not question marks are being raised over his form this season.
Given his experience, class and quality, which he has displayed for years for club and country, it would surely be a mistake to just axe him in order to sign Neymar and be left with a big hole in midfield to fill.
In contrast, the signing of Neymar would be ideal for the reigning Spanish and European champions, as with Bale’s injury problems, Karim Benzema’s lack of consistency and Cristiano Ronaldo not getting any younger, they may well need a new attacking star to become the new face of the club before long.
Don Balón believe that the Brazilian ace will command a fee of around €250m, but as per Marca last year, it may well be around the €200m mark or something in between.
Either way, it’s a lot of money. In turn, it will need to be budgeted for, but selling Kroos is arguably well down the list of ways to come up with the funds for many supporters.