Planet Football has reported on the current status of the four players who debuted with Real Madrid alongside Toni Kroos in 2014.
After EURO 2024, star Toni Kroos will officially retire, ending a 10-year association with Santiago Bernabeu. There is no doubt that the German player is one of the club’s best midfielders since joining Real Madrid in 2014. During his time, he has won 21 titles, including 4 league championships and 4 Champions League titles.
Planet Football takes a look back at Real Madrid’s transfers since 2014, focusing on the three players the club signed alongside Toni Kroos that summer.
James Rodriguez
Signed for £63 million after an impressive World Cup campaign, James Rodriguez became the most expensive signing for the Spanish capital club in 2014.
During his six years at Santiago Bernabeu, he contributed 79 goals in 125 matches. However, when Zinedine Zidane became the head coach, Rodriguez lost his starting position and eventually had to leave the club. After stints in England, Qatar, and Greece, the Colombian midfielder is now playing in Brazil for Sao Paulo.
Real Madrid was highly impressed with Keylor Navas’ outstanding performance for the Costa Rica national team during the 2014 World Cup and signed him from Levante in the same summer.
Despite playing a crucial role in securing 11 titles for the club, Navas is arguably one of the most underrated goalkeepers of his generation. He eventually lost his starting spot to Thibaut Courtois and subsequently transferred to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.
Navas spent two years as the first-choice goalkeeper at PSG, but the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2021 relegated him mostly to the bench. The 37-year-old goalkeeper is almost certain to leave after this season, though his next destination remains unknown.
Javier Hernandez
In 2014, Carlo Ancelotti sought to strengthen Real Madrid by signing Javier Hernandez on loan from Manchester United. Although Hernandez scored 9 goals across all competitions, Real Madrid did not exercise the purchase option to make the deal permanent.
Afterward, the former Mexican international played for Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, and Sevilla before joining LA Galaxy. After four years in the U.S., Hernandez returned to play for Guadalajara in Liga MX, where he currently remains.
Fernando Pacheco
In the summer of 2014, Fernando Pacheco was promoted to the first team from Real Madrid’s youth academy, but the goalkeeper made only 2 appearances for the club. He then moved to Alaves, where he became a key player, making over 250 appearances before joining Espanyol in Spain’s second division, where he continues to play to this day.
