Manchester United have demanded that Toni Kroos is included in exchange as part of any deal that would take David de Gea to Real Madrid, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim on their website that United are determined to hold out for £60million for their Spanish stopper, but are said to be willing to consider to listen to a offer if Germany midfielder Kroos is included in the transfer.
Jose Mourinho is believed to be a admirer of Kroos, 27, and believes that his talents would help complement those of Paul Pogba in the Reds’ midfield.
Real have reportedly reignited their longstanding interest in goalkeeper De Gea, which has prompted the firm retaliation from United during discussions with the Spanis giants.
The news comes just days after Don Balon reported that De Gea had urged his agents to secure him a move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, but it appears that Manchester United are willing to stick to their guns over keeping him at Old Trafford.
An industrious figure in the centre of the park, Kroos joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2014 from Bayern Munich, and has helped them go on to win two successive Champions Leagues, the Spanish League title, two Club World Cups and a European Supercup, with 147 appearances under his belt.
Last season he turned out 48 times across all competitions, scoring four goals and notching up an impressive 17 assists.
He is also a World Cup winner, having played an integral part to the Germany side which were victorious in Brazil in 2014, and he has 76 international caps to his name.