Toni Kroos has sounded a note of caution over Real Madrid‘s €103 million ($111.67m) signing of Jude Bellingham, hinting at Eden Hazard as a big-money transfer that didn’t turn out as planned.
Madrid confirmed the deal with Borussia Dortmund for England star Bellingham, 19, on Wednesday on a six-year contract.
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Hazard joined the LaLiga giants in 2019 for a similar, initial €100m fee, but terminated his contract this month after four disappointing years at the Bernabeu.
“[Bellingham] is a top player who a lot of teams wanted, with the mixture of his quality and his age,” Kroos said on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen. “I have a lot of faith in those responsible [at the club]. If Real Madrid have spent so much, I hope it’s a good signing for us. If he does as well as at Dortmund, we can say it’s a good signing. If not, it isn’t.
“We also had someone who came for a lot of money and more or less let his career rest. It was a lot of money and I think everyone would say, looking back: it wasn’t a good signing. But let’s be optimistic.”
Bellingham scored 14 goals in all competitions for Dortmund last season, often captaining the side as they came close to winning the Bundesliga, losing out to Bayern Munich on the final day.
Madrid have also confirmed deals for left-back Fran Garcia and playmaker Brahim Diaz so far this summer — and they’re looking to sign a centre forward after Karim Benzema left the club to join Saudi Arabia‘s Al Ittihad.
“The decision depends on you,” Kroos said, when discussing Benzema’s exit. “There are circumstances which contribute. Credit where credit is due, he arrived at Real at 20 or 21, and what he’s given the club, the important goals he’s scored … Last year was the cherry on the cake. There haven’t been many forwards in the last 15 years who have used the ball like him.”
Madrid confirmed Benzema’s departure just hours before their last game of the LaLiga season on June 4.
“I thought he wanted to end his career at Madrid,” Kroos said. “It was all done so fast. I think it was important for him to say goodbye to the Bernabeu. You could see it was done on short notice, if not something more would have been organised.
“It was an appropriate farewell, given the time they had. I think not many knew. A lot of people found out with the official announcement. There was no speech from him or anything like that.”
