Toni Kroos yesterday became Real Madrid’s first high-profile signing for the new season, moving from Bayern Munich on a six-year deal just days after winning the World Cup with Germany.
The 24-year-old playmaker had an outstanding World Cup, scoring two goals in two minutes in the 7-1 semi-final rout of Brazil, en route to overcoming Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s final.
Spanish media said Real and Bayern agreed a deal worth between 25 million euros and 30 million euros (US$33 million and US$40 million). The two clubs said the transfer fee would remain secret.
Photo: EPA
Kroos was due to be unveiled by his new employers at a press conference yesterday. His arrival could hasten the departure of fellow German, Sami Khedira, who risks losing his midfield place.
Real hailed their latest catch as “one of the most important players of the moment.”
A Real statement described Kroos as “a playmaker capable of finding the best option in any situation, with a vision of the game enabling him to help his teammates, as well as an impressive kick.”
Kroos, whose contract with Bayern expired next season, sided with Real over alternatives such as Manchester United or Chelsea.
A Bayern statement confirmed it had made a deal with Real and that Kroos had signed a six-year contract.
“The two clubs have agreed to remain silent about the transfer fee,” it said.
“We thank Toni Kroos for his time at Munich,” Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. “We have experienced great successes with him.”
Kroos arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu with 11 trophies already on his CV, the World Cup the jewel in a collection including last year’s Champions League, Bundesliga titles and the Club World Cup.
He joined Bayern as a teenager in 2007, making his first team appearance at the age of 17. He became a regular after an 18-month loan spell at Bundesliga rivals Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
This is the second high-profile World Cup player to move to La Liga this month, following Luis Suarez’s reported 95 million euros transfer from Manchester City to Real’s archrivals Barcelona.
The path from the World Cup to Spain could also see Monaco’s Colombia hotshot James Rodriguez join Kroos at Real.
The World Cup’s top scorer with six goals told Spanish sports daily Marca on Monday: “I’d jump at the chance of going to Real Madrid.”
Real have also been linked with a move for Keylor Navas, the goalkeeper whose heroics helped Costa Rica reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Navas plays with Levante UD in the Spanish first division and his arrival would increase pressure on Iker Casillas, already criticized for his role in Spain’s World Cup collapse.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one