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The 2018/19 season has been a very topsy turvy one for Real Madrid. It all started with the departures of two iconic figures in the form of former player and manager Zinedine Zidane who announced his resignation after guiding the club to their third consecutive UCL triumph. This was followed by the news that record-breaking talisman Cristiano Ronaldo was on his way to Juventus.
As expected, the club floundered in their absence, but to a much greater extent than anyone expected, as they failed to impose themselves, struggling to win matches and more worryingly, score goals.
Their poor form led to the termination of Julen Lopetegui's contract just 14 matches in and even though there has been some upturn in fortunes since the appointment of Santiago Solari, there are still some question marks about the team, as some players are still struggling to find their feet.
With new reports suggesting that Real Madrid are nearing the completion of a mega money move for Eden Hazard, it is almost imperative for Los Blancos to offload some players to facilitate the move in order to stay on the right side of FFP regulations.
With the summer window a few months away from reopening, Real Madrid must begin to look to the future to avoid the embarrassments that came with this season. In this piece, we shall take a look at five players who should be sold by Real Madrid in the summer.
#5 Marco Asensio
Another player who was expected to benefit massively from Cristiano Ronaldo's departure was Marco Asensio.
The 23-year-old announced himself to the world during Real Madrid's LaLiga and UCL triumph in 2016, scoring a lot of decisive goals en route both title wins including one in the final victory over Juventus.
He further increased his stock at the start of last season, scoring two worldies in the Spanish Super Cup victories over Barcelona. Ronaldo's departure then seemingly opened up the way for him to fulfill his immense potential.
The fact that Ronaldo operated on his preferred wing out wide on the left was also another pointer that the Spanish international would receive more playing time and he was looked upon as one of the players to lead Real Madrid into the new era.
As it happened, that has not been the case, as Asensio has massively flattered to deceive and currently finds himself out of the first team picture due to his floundering form.
Comments made earlier in the season about it not being his duty to carry the team did not sit well with a lot of fans and gave an indication as to his unsuitability to being a leader in the squad.
In 17 LaLiga fixtures this season, Marco Asensio has scored just one goal and created two assists, which is rather disappointing considering how much was expected of him.
Following the improvement of Vinicius Jr, Asensio has increasingly found himself out of the first team picture and with Real still interested in French superstar Kylian Mbappe, it is increasingly hard to see the usefulness of Asensio in the team.
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#4 Luka Modric
It might come as a surprise to many to even suggest letting the current Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best winner depart, but a closer look at the cold, hard facts would lend credence to the suggestion.
Luka Modric has been a prime performer for Real Madrid since his 2012 arrival from Tottenham, performing at a world-class level all through and helping the club to numerous triumphs with his uncanny ability to dictate play and control the tempo of matches.
However, for all his brilliance, Modric cannot last forever (nobody can) and he would be turning 34 by the time next season kicks off.
Modric has been a top-level performer for almost 15 years but has shown signs of his decline, as the Croat has struggled to exert his influence on matches, appearing immobile as Madrid's opponents overrun Real in the middle of the park.
The law of diminishing returns is very much a reality not just in economics but also in other aspects of life (including professional football) and with Luka Modric having been at the pinnacle for so long, there is nowhere else to go but down and with Real looking at promoting a lot of young prospects in midfield, they would do well to part ways with the Ballon d'Or holder to create space for the upcoming ones.
#3 Marcelo
Another suggestion which might not sit well with a lot of fans, as the Brazilian has unarguably been the standout left-back in the world over the last decade.
Marcelo inherited the left-back position from Roberto Carlos for both club and country and he has held down the spot with aplomb, with his bombarding runs forward and pinpoint delivery proving to be far too much for many opponents to handle.
The 31-year-old has been an ever-present in the squad since his 2007 debut and he has played an instrumental role in all the successes achieved by Los Blancos in that time, while also possessing a great understanding with Cristiano Ronaldo both on and off the field.
However, for all of Marcelo's attacking impetus, he is defensively suspect, being caught out time and again by opposition forwards and at no time was this more evident than earlier in the season when Real's blunt attack put increased pressure on their fragile backline.
There have been increased speculations linking the Brazilian international with a move away from the Bernabeu, with the likely destination being Juventus where he could link up with Ronaldo again.
Marcelo has also lost his starting place in recent weeks to young upstart Sergio Reguilon and the 22-year-old's assured displays on the left of Real's defense suggest that he might be ready to take over the baton from one of the greatest Brazilians to ever represent Real Madrid.
#2 Isco
On his day, Isco is undoubtedly one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, possessing incredible technique and close control to dictate the tempo of matches.
However, for all of his undoubted brilliance, Isco is annoyingly inconsistent, as he blows hot and cold, following up brilliance with spells of inactivity, with fans never sure of which Isco would turn out whenever Real Madrid take to the field.
His inconsistencies have reached new heights this season, with the 26-year-old one of the key culprits behind the sacking of Julen Lopetegui. Things have not improved for him thereon, as he appears to be massively out of favor with Santiago Solari.
Isco has played sparingly since Solari's appointment, being consigned to the bench and starting mostly cup matches, which led to increased speculation that he would be on his way out during the January transfer window.
The Spanish international has been the subject of repeated boos by sections of the Real Madrid fans and if things continue the way they are at the moment, it is hard to see Isco having much of a future in the all white of Real Madrid.
#1 Gareth Bale
The former most expensive player in history, Gareth Bale found himself in the ubiquitous shadows of Cristiano Ronaldo for five seasons at the Bernabeu and the Welshman failed to reach the heights he achieved at Tottenham which had made Perez splash such a high fee for his signature.
This was understandable, as Ronaldo's influence at the club and beyond was so far-reaching that attempting to take center stage with him was an exercise in futility.
The 29-year-old was the player who was expected to benefit the most from Ronaldo's departure, as it freed up space for him to be the main man around whom the team was built just like it was at Tottenham as well as the Welsh national team.
However, contrary to expectations, Gareth Bale has faltered massively in his role as Real's new talisman, struggling to exert his influence and decide the outcome of matches in the manner that Ronaldo did, and he was one of the players most culpable during the club's disastrous run earlier in the season.
The winger has also been plagued by injuries, meaning that Solari has not had him readily available at all times, restricting him to just 17 appearances in LaLiga.
In his 17 Liga matches, Bale has scored just five goals, creating a paltry two assists which is a far cry from the levels expected of him following Ronaldo's departure, while Solari has also frozen him out in recent matches, preferring a frontline of Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema.
His poor form has led a lot of the notoriously demanding Real fans to lose patience with him and with time running out, it might be in all parties' interests to end Bale's sojourn with Real Madrid.
