Toni Kroos came out of international retirement to play one last tournament for Germany, at their home European Championship. Persuaded to return by Julian Nagelsmann, the former Real Madrid star was arguably Die Mannschaft’s best player but now they face the difficult task of finding a replacement.
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will continue to operate at right-back, meaning Nagelsmann has four options for midfield. As per Bild, Robert Andrich – who partnered with Kroos at Euro 2024 and takes his compatriots jersey number – will retain his place, leaving Borussia Dortmund’s Pascal Groß as the likely candidate given his experience. The 33-year-old has played every game for Die Schwarzgelben this season, registering three assists in as many games, while he played 47 games across all competitions for Brighton last season. Although you can’t replace Kroos like-for-like, Groß, who operates as an eight, would appear to be the closest option.
But Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlović also remains an option. The 20-year-old became an important player for the Rekordmeister last season, ousting Leon Goretzka. His performances earned him a maiden call-up to the national team in June, playing 19 minutes against Ukraine. Pavlović was also named in Germany’s Euro 2024 squad but was replaced by Emre Can after withdrawing with tonsillitis.
The final option for Nagelsmann and Germany is Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller. A product of Bayern Munich’s academy, the 23-year-old left Bavaria for Sinsheim in 2021, joining Hoffenheim on a free transfer. He developed his game there, earning a move to Stuttgart last summer for €5.5m.
Playing under Sebastian Hoeneß, where he did at Bayern, Hoffenheim, and now Stuttgart, Stiller has perfected his game which has earned him a maiden call-up to the national team. It’s unclear as to what role the defensive-midfielder will play for Germany over the next two games against Hungary and the Netherlands, if any, but he’s certainly a long-term midfield option for Nagelsmann.
