Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly keen to make a double transfer raid on Real Madrid this summer for midfielder Toni Kroos and defender Raphael Varane.
The pair are two experienced winners at the highest level who could be just what City need to make that step up to becoming genuine Champions League contenders after so much disappointment in the competition in recent times.
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According to Don Balon, Guardiola will be backed with around £170million to sign both players from Madrid, with Kroos mentioned as being particularly keen on the move to the Etihad Stadium, though Varane is also a target for Paris Saint-Germain.
It’s worth noting that both these players have also been on Liverpool’s radar recently, if another Don Balon report is to be believed.
That piece claimed Jurgen Klopp would be keen on Kroos or Varane in a swap deal for Sadio Mane, though it remains to be seen if either would be a priority target for Liverpool.
Both could undoubtedly do a job at Anfield, however, with Kroos surely an upgrade on the ageing James Milner, giving the club something a little different in the middle of the park with his creativity and range of passing.
Varane, meanwhile, would be a fine signing to ensure Virgil van Dijk has a more reliable partner than Joel Matip or Dejan Lovren, while Joe Gomez has a poor injury record in his time with the Reds.
Still, it now seems City are stepping up their efforts to land these players and give themselves a potentially fearsome squad for next season.
