Angelo Stiller: Why Liverpool and Real Madrid are being linked with Stuttgart's 'new Toni Kroos'

Real Madrid are presently paying a heavy price for failing to replace Toni Kroos last summer, but then it was always going to be a tough task. For starters, the now-retired German ranks as one of the finest deep-lying playmakers of the modern era.

Secondly, as Liverpool know only too well, finding a specialist No.6 is extremely difficult these days. Were it not for Arne Slot's successful conversion of Ryan Gravenberch into a defensive midfielder, the Reds would not be on the verge of winning just their second Premier League title right now.

It's clear, though, that Liverpool require another option in front of the back four, just as Madrid desperately need to belatedly find a worthy successor to Kroos. Consequently, there's every chance that they could end up battling for the same player this summer, namely Angelo Stiller, the Stuttgart star being touted as 'the new Toni Kroos'...