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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.
