Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has admitted that the team are less defensively secure following the exit of Casemiro to Manchester United this summer.
Casemiro joined United in a £70million deal this summer which led his former teammate Kroos to launch a bizarre rant against players who decided to join the Premier League. The German midfield maestro hinted that players only moved to the division based on monetary incentives.
Kroos has subsequently admitted that he was “surprised and saddened” by the decision of his former teammate to leave the Spanish capital. Alongside Luka Modric, the two former a midfield trio which won multiple Champions League titles and La Liga crowns together.
Kroos explained on the Universo Valdano programme on Spanish TV: "I was surprised by Casemiro's departure. It is true that the rumours started two days before, but here there are always many rumours and many times nothing happens. But when he told me I was sad, because I began to remember all the years with him and the things we win together."
The German midfielder has also gone into more detail about how Madrid are missing Casemiro’s defensive midfield shielding role. Kroos has admitted that he now has to do more defensive work in the side as new signing Aurelien Tchouameni is more forward-thinking than the Brazilian.
“My role has changed a little with Aurelien arriving, because he comes out of his position a little more than Case did,” Kroos continued. “That forces me to defend a little more, but I also like it. It doesn't change me too much, although maybe it's a little more defensive.
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“In general, it doesn't affect me much, I play my game. I like contact with the ball, of course. Always I say that I prefer to touch the ball 100 times and not score than touch it 40 times and score . That way I feel comfortable and it helps me to start the attack well. And of course, I also like to arrive into the box to shoot. But there are more players on the team who can do that and fewer who come go back to defend and help out."
Tchouameni’s arrival from Monaco earlier in the summer had appeared to weaken Casemiro’s status in the Real Madrid dressing room while there were no shortage of options for the club in midfield, after Eduardo Camavinga arrived the previous summer and Fede Valverde has displayed strong form this campaign.
Casemiro won a total of 18 trophies in the Spanish capital having arrived from Sao Paulo in 2013, including three La Liga titles and five Champions League crowns.
