Toni Kroos for Manchester City: Pep Guardiola baulks at paying his £240,000 a week wages
German midfield star is coining it in at Real Madrid on double the salary mistaken City chiefs thought he earned
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MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola is being put off a £60million move for Real Madrid star Toni Kroos – because of his huge wages.
The German midfielder is a British record transfer target for City as they look for a long-term replacement for Yaya Toure.
But Etihad chiefs are reluctant to make their move as Kroos is on £240,000-a-week at Madrid – double what they thought he earned.
A City source said: “It was a shock to discover that Kroos is one of the biggest earners at Madrid.
“That was one of the reasons why he quit Bayern. It was thought it would be closer to £120,000 a week – so double their estimate.”
Guardiola would need to shift a high earner like Toure, who is on around £230,000 a- week to land Kroos.
City are also keen to get full-back Aleksandar Kolarov off their wage bill. He is on £90,000 a week.
Kroos' representatives have been in talks with City and he is thought not to be against a switch to the Etihad.
Any move for the 26-year-old could depend on whether Juventus ace Paul Pogba joins Manchester United for £105m.
Kroos is believed to be interested in working with ex-boss Guardiola again – and refused to rule out going to City.
He said in an interview this month: “I will not play in the Bundesliga. People know that football can not rule anything out.”
The former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder joined Real Madrid for Munich in 2014 for around £20m.
He has made 68 appearances at the Bernabeu and scored three goals.