Over the last 12 months, much has been made of Real Madrid not signing a replacement for iconic midfielder Toni Kroos, who announced his abrupt retirement from football back in the summer of 2024.

However, there has been suggestions that this will happen in-house, with Arda Guler seen by some as being able to fill this void.

Guler, who has developed a strong partnership with Kylian Mbappe, has been one of Real Madrid’s best players this season. He has been used in a deeper role by Xabi Alonso, and this has allowed him to take his game to a new level.

But despite being utilised as a midfielder, Guler should not be seen as a Kroos replacement – that’s according to the former Real Madrid star, as per an interview with Sport1.

"I’m happy that this year he’s getting significantly more minutes, because he’s earned it football-wise and he’s a guy you can trust for the future. He’s a different type of player to me. His better position is clearly more offensive than mine, so he is not my successor at all. But I’m usually happy because he’s a good guy. I was still able to play with him. He has a really fine touch, which this season he has already been able to take advantage of very effectively for Real Madrid."

"That’s why I hope he continues to get minutes consistently, because that’s the only way he can improve. And I’m sure he can mark an era at Real Madrid for many years to come."

Kroos has been out of the spotlight since retiring, although he made it clear that he is still very busy in his life in the Spanish capital.

"Just because less is heard from me doesn’t mean I have nothing to do. A lot is happening. I work daily at my academy in Madrid, where I personally coach two teams. In addition, with my foundation we celebrated our tenth anniversary with a great event in Düsseldorf that I was able to combine perfectly with the Icon League."