Toni Kroos makes feelings clear about rumors linking Florian Wirtz with move to join Liverpool despite Real Madrid interest

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has backed Florian Wirtz to do well at Liverpool amid reports linking him with a move to Merseyside. Kroos believes that the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder has the tools to succeed at any club in the world.

Talking about Wirtz at the Icon League, Kroos stated that judgements about such decisions can only be made after a while. However, he backed his compatriot to succeed wherever he ends up next season. He said (via One Football):

"If he thinks thats the best next step for him and his career, then that's good. You can technically only judge decisions like this afterwards, of course. He [Wirtz] is a player who can prevail at any club in the world in my opinion. It doesn't matter if it would've been Bayern or Liverpool, it's different from being at Leverkusen for sure - but he has all the tools to assert himself at any given top club.”

Liverpool are reportedly in talks over a stunning bid of over €100 million to sign Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Manchester City have already backed out of the race for the German star, who has also been linked with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Real Madrid target rejected Bayern Munich for Liverpool because of competition, claims German legend

Lothar Matthaus was on Sky Germany on Sunday when he claimed that Florian Wirtz was taking on a big challenge by moving to Liverpool. He stated that it was not just a new club but a new league too for the German midfielder. He said (via GOAL):

"He's taking on a big challenge. It's not just a new club. It's a new mentality, a new language. But: This step also shows that he's not afraid. Florian Wirtz believes in himself 100 percent – and rightly so. I have absolute confidence in him that he will succeed at Liverpool and in the Premier League."

Matthaus also claimed that Wirtz rejected a move to Bayern Munich because of competition from Jamal Musiala. He added:

"Perhaps that was also a consideration: At FC Bayern, Jamal Musiala is actually the number 10. Perhaps he doesn't want to share the position."

Real Madrid were linked with the Bayer Leverkusen star as Xabi Alonso has been appointed as Los Blancos' manager.

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Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.

Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.

Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.

If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.

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Edited by Arshit Garg