Real Madrid have confirmed that they have agreed a new one-year contract with Toni Kroos.
The midfielder has spent the last nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu, representing Los Blancos on 417 occasions and chipping in with 27 goals.
Kroos can count three La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies among his vast array of silverware, yet it appeared at one stage that the German may bring his stint with Real to an end.
The former Bayern Munich man has previously suggested that he would either extend his stay in Spain or hang up his boots, like he did with Germany in 2021.
In theory, deciding on the latter would come at a time when he may find himself provided with less game time, a consequence of the big-money arrival of Jude Bellingham.
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However, manager Carlo Ancelotti has always spoken highly of the influence that Kroos has both behind the scenes and on the pitch, and he will now get to spend another year with the player, providing that he does not become the next boss of Brazil.
On Wednesday morning, Real announced that they had agreed a one-year contract renewal with Kroos, who is now in line to reach 10 years at the club.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that terms were agreed back in March with the official confirmation being delayed until the end of the season.
Although Ancelotti is well stocked for options in the centre of the pitch, Real now hope that Luka Modric will agree a deal over the same length of contract.
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The veteran Croatia international is another player who has been heavily linked with a switch to a Saudi Arabian club, with Real at risk of losing two players through that route having already witnessed Karim Benzema join champions Al-Ittihad.
Nevertheless, it has been widely claimed that the 37-year-old will spend a further 12 months in the colours of Real as they bid to regain La Liga and Champions League titles that they lost in 2022-23.
Kroos, who is 33 and four years younger than Modric, accumulated the seventh-most minutes by any Real player in Spain's top flight last season, making 25 starts and five substitute outings.
Modric was used more regularly, featuring on 33 occasions, but he was restricted to 19 starts and 14 substitute appearances by Ancelotti in order to manage his game time and keep him fresh for Champions League action.
Darren Plant
