Who will succeed Toni Kroos in the German national team?

Toni Kroos has returned from international retirement to play one last tournament for Germany, the European Championship. Julian Nagelsmann convinced the former Real Madrid star to return to the competition, but the team now faces the difficult task of finding a replacement.

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich will continue to play at right-back, meaning Nagelsmann has four options for midfield. ImageRobert Andrich, who was Kroos’ team-mate at Euro 2024 and wears his compatriot’s shirt number, will keep his place, leaving Borussia Dortmund’s Pascal Groß the likely candidate given his experience. The 33-year-old has played in every game for Die Schwarzgelben this season, registering three assists in as many games, while he made 47 appearances in all competitions for Brighton last season. While Kroos cannot be replaced on a like-for-like basis, Groß, who plays as a number eight, appears 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, displacing Leon Goretzka. His performances earned him his first call-up to the national team in June, playing 19 minutes against Ukraine. Pavlović was also called up by Germany for Euro 2024, 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 youth system, the 23-year-old left Bayern for Sinsheim in 2021 and joined Hoffenheim on a free transfer. There he developed his game and last summer earned a €5.5m move to Stuttgart.

Stiller, who played under Sebastian Hoeneß at Bayern, Hoffenheim and now Stuttgart, has refined his game, earning him his first call-up to the national team. It is unclear what role the defensive midfielder will play for Germany in the next two games against Hungary and the Netherlands, if at all, but he is certainly a long-term option for Nagelsmann in midfield.

GGFN | Daniel Pinder