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The World Cup-winning midfielder has no intention of playing on until his last 30s and may not be penning any more deals in Spain or elsewhere
Toni Kroos has hinted that his current contract at Real Madrid will be his last, with the World Cup winner revealing that retirement will start to become an option when he reaches the age of 33.
That is how old he will be when reaching the end of his deal at Santiago Bernabeu.
Given the success he has enjoyed over the course of a distinguished career, Kroos could be considered to still have plenty left in the tank.
His game has always been more about technical ability that physical attributes, with vision and creativity not lost with age.
He is, however, prepared to admit that he has no intention of playing on into his late 30s.
With that in mind, it could be that Kroos walks away from Madrid in the summer of 2023 as he starts to weigh up his options away from competitive action.
He has told Sportschau Club: “I’m definitely not a player who plays until 38.
“I still have a three-and-a-half year contract until the summer 2023. Then I will be 33. That’s a good age to start thinking about what I want without having a contract that runs for four years.
“It won’t be long then until the end of my career.”
Kroos has been on the books at Real since 2014, when he completed a big-money switch from Bayern Munich.
He has enjoyed considerable success in Spain, including a La Liga title triumph and three Champions League wins.
There is a determination on his part to collect many more medals before hanging up his boots, with “the feeling of winning titles kind of addictive”.
Kroos will also be seeking more glory at international level, starting with Euro 2020 this summer.
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He has remained part of the Germany fold under Joachim Low during a period of change for Die Mannschaft, but cannot see fellow experienced heads such as Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels returning to the fold.
“The national coach did not make a decision on a whim or because they are bad players or because they are all 38 years old, he did it to set a new direction,” said Kroos.
“It is more likely to stay that way because the direction in which we are heading has not been so wrong so far.”
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