Guardiola eyes three main midfield targets after Kroos exit.
Bayern Munich are hoping to find a top quality replacement for German playmaker Toni Kroos, who completed a move to Real Madrid last week, and manager Pep Guardiola is thought to have three main targets in mind for the midfield position.
CaughtOffside understands that the Spanish tactician has instructed his board to bring in one of these three players as a priority, though he could still look elsewhere if these in-demand stars cannot be brought in for a reasonable price, or end up moving elsewhere.
Two of the players involved are expected to move this summer, and have both been linked with Manchester United, while one is considered a key player for their club and would no doubt prove a big-money investment for Bayern if they did pursue their interest.
Kroos’ arrival in Madrid has been met with great excitement by the club’s fans, and there’s no doubting that the 24-year-old, a World Cup winner with Germany this summer, has been instrumental to Bayern’s recent dominance in the Bundesliga and in Europe, and will need a signing of superb quality to come in and fill the gap left in his old side’s midfield.
3) Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
After a slightly disappointing first season with Real Madrid, former Tottenham Hotspur star Luka Modric enjoyed a much better campaign in 2013/14, helping the club to glory in the Champions League and Copa del Rey and becoming a key player for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who deployed a more attacking setup than under his predecessor Jose Mourinho. Pep Guardiola is known to be a big fan of the Croatian international, and sees him as an ideal like-for-like replacement for Kroos in that creative midfield role. With Kroos arriving at the Bernabeu, it could be that Modric’s place in the side will be somewhat under threat, and Bayern hope that they may be able to land the 28-year-old for a reasonable price, perhaps just over £30m, though they are yet to make an official approach to the Spanish giants.
2) Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
A player dominating the headlines this summer, Arturo Vidal’s superb performances for Chile at this summer’s World Cup have seen his already-great reputation grow even further after his fine displays for Juventus over the years. Manchester United and Arsenal have both been strongly linked with the talented 27-year-old, who could even prove an upgrade on Kroos if he can reach his best form for Bayern, with a more combative style of play and more of an eye for goal than his German counterpart. Guardiola may be late to the party in terms of chasing Vidal, who is close to agreeing a move to United, according to various reports, but a big-money offer could derail the move, and the Bayern boss will be hoping for a repeat of last summer, when his side snapped up Thiago Alcantara from under the noses of the Red Devils.
1) Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
In what would be a highly controversial move, Bayern could also look to bring in Marco Reus from their rivals Borussia Dortmund this summer, following on from their recent raids on the club for Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski. Reus has previously stated that he would not make the same move in leaving Dortmund for Bayern, but Guardiola is now desperate to land the German international, who missed the World Cup through injury, as a replacement for Kroos. Although the 25-year-old plays a slightly more advanced role than his fellow countryman, he has shown great ability in a number of attacking midfield positions and could fit in well into this Bayern side. Manchester United are keen on him as well, though they are currently believed to be prioritising a move for Vidal, which could see the Bavarian giants emerge as surprise favourites to sign him this summer.
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