Rumour: Chelsea and Manchester United refused Kroos over wage demands

Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly missed out on the opportunity to sign Bayern Munich’s Toni Kroos after refusing to meet the player’s demand for a £90,000-a-week salary after tax, reports the Express.

Kroos now looks set to join Spanish giants Real Madrid after agreeing personal terms with the Champions League winners.

He previously refused to sign a new deal at Bayern Munich, and both Man Utd and Chelsea made significant efforts to bring the midfield maestro to England.

Both clubs, however, were turned off by the player’s wage demands, which they considered to be too high, according to reports in Germany.

Real will now pay Kroos £180,000 a week for the German international to take home half of that amount, with Kroos agreeing a five-year deal with the Spanish titans.

Real have yet to agree a deal with Bayern for Kroos, with the German club holding out for £23 million, but the player’s mind is now made up, which weakens Bayern’s negotiating position somewhat. They could lose him on a free transfer next summer.

Yesterday Kroos told TZ: “I have made my decision.

“First I want to play the World Cup. Once it’s over, I’ll make my decision public. There’s still a week left to go.”