Why Chelsea Must Sign Modric Or Toni Kross Despite Age – Joe Cole

Chelsea legend Joe Cole suggests his former club pursue Real Madrid midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to add experience to young Blues squad.

During a talkSPORT appearance, Cole stated that Chelsea would gain from having a player such as Modric on the team before adding Kroos to the discussion.

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Cole said: “I’d be looking to bring in some experienced players who set the tone. I’m thinking is Luka Modric out of [contract]? Does he want to come and play in the Premier League for one more year? He’s still doing bits at Real Madrid. And how much has he helped [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Aurelien] Tchouameni, [Federico] Valverde? He would’ve had such an influence on them as players. Toni Kroos is 34. Does he want to test himself at his age? Coming over here and helping out this young [Chelsea] squad. They’re just names I’ve thrown off the top of my head, I don’t know their situation.”

Moises Caicedo is still only 22 years old, while Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher are Chelsea’s oldest midfielders at 23 and 24, respectively. The only outfield player in the entire team who has turned 30 is 39-year-old Thiago Silva, who is expected to depart in the summer. Cole is betting that one or both of Modric and Kroos—who have proven themselves and their worth to Real Madrid—might be amenable to taking on a fresh challenge as their careers come to an end.

An attempt by Chelsea to capture Modric from London rivals Tottenham for £40 million ($51 million) proved unsuccessful in the summer of 2011, one year before he was sold to Real Madrid for approximately £10 million less. Prior to Modric’s 2008 transfer to Spurs, the Blues were among the teams expressing interest in the young player when he first gained notoriety at Dinamo Zagreb.

Chelsea needs to make sure that the season doesn’t finish in complete failure. The squad led by Mauricio Pochettino lost the Carabao Cup final to an even less skilled Liverpool team, and they currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League standings. However, they will face Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley the following month.

Regarding Modric and Kroos, they are still expected to win another La Liga championship with Real Madrid and will face Manchester City in the Champions Least Four. Where both play in 2024–2025 may depend on how the remainder of this season plays out. Only recently did Carlo Ancelotti imply that Modric’s decision to stay or leave will be his own, given that his and Kroos’ contracts are slated to expire at the conclusion of the season.