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Real Madrid are just one match away from being crowned La Liga champions following their hard-fought 2-1 win at Granada on Monday. The inevitable title triumph will only be their second in eight top-flight seasons as manager Zinedine Zidane looks to restore Los Blancos’ supremacy both domestically and in Europe.
32-year-old Karim Benzema has once again showcased his unparalleled importance to Real Madrid. The Frenchman has 19 goals in 35 league matches this season, just three away from top-scorer Lionel Messi, who has 22 to his name.
Club captain Sergio Ramos has not only been rock solid in defense but has contributed massively at the other end as well. The Spaniard has a remarkable 10 goals to his name as he continues to take penalty duties for Real Madrid.
Thibaut Courtois is currently enjoying his best spell in a white shirt since his controversial move from Chelsea two years ago. The Belgian had a nightmare debut campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu with fans often lamenting the club for replacing him with Keylor Navas.
However, Courtois has turned around his fortunes at the club, recently accumulating his 17th league clean-sheet of the season, becoming the first Real Madrid keeper to do so since Francisco Buyo in 1995.
Real Madrid's underperformers this season
However, given the Spanish heavyweights’ enormous squad depth, some elite stars have not been able to make the impact they were hoping to make. Last year’s blockbuster signing of Eden Hazard has not gone according to plan, with the former Chelsea star only managing one goal in 15 league appearances this season.
Much of the Belgian’s debut campaign in Spain has been spent on the sidelines with injury concerns. However, there is no doubt that Hazard will eventually find his feet at Real Madrid and showcase his incredible capabilities for which he was heralded at Stamford Bridge.
Three names, however, don’t seem like they will be linking up with Eden Hazard in attack come next season. Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Luka Jovic are all reportedly on the hunt for new clubs after falling out of Zidane’s pecking order at Real Madrid.
But where will the illustrious trio end up? With plenty of suitors lining up, we take a look at the Real Madrid outcasts’ potential destinations in the coming months.
Gareth Bale
Scoring in multiple Champions League finals, a winner in a Copa del Rey final against bitter rivals Barcelona and being Real Madrid's fifth-highest scorer of the 21st century should be enough for a player to be given legendary status anywhere. However, the relationship between Real Madrid and Gareth Bale continues to worsen.
The Welshman has started only one game out of nine since the La Liga restart and has been an unused substitute in the last five. Bale has never been a favourite of manager Zinedine Zidane with reported rifts between the two always rife in the media.
Last summer, a mouth-watering move to China was on the brink of materialising before the Real Madrid hierarchy stepped in and blocked the move which could have made Bale the highest-paid player in footballing history. Florentino Perez and co, who were ready to sell him on a free transfer, suddenly changed their mind and demanded a fee from Jiangsu Suning their €100m winger.
Zinedine Zidane had all but confirmed that Bale was going to leave Real Madrid in a statement which revealed the animosity between the two.
“We hope he leaves soon,” he said. “It would be best for everyone. We are working on his transfer to a new team. I have nothing personal against him but there comes a time where things are done because they must be done.”
However, Bale stayed put in the Spanish capital and Zidane was forced to use him this season. The 31-year-old has spent a lot of the season on the bench whilst struggling with injuries and consistency in form. Zidane, therefore, has lost all trust in the former Tottenham Hotspur ace.
Bale’s antics on the sidelines have come under the scanner recently after he pretended to sleep in Real Madrid's match against Alaves and then was found looking at the Granada game on Monday through a rolled-up paper piece. Also, who can forget the smile he had on his face as he held up the ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order’ banner following a European qualifier in November.
It seems like Gareth Bale has not only fallen out of love with Real Madrid but with football itself. After being venerated as one of the best wide forwards of the last decade, he has now become a laughing stock around the world.
Perhaps the reason that he has no problem with staying at the club where he is no longer respected is because he remains to be their second-highest earner with a weekly salary of £350,000. Only a select number of clubs in Europe can pay that amount for a player who spends most of his time warming the bench.
A move to the far-east, therefore, seems most probable for Bale. However, certain reports have stated that his family prefers to stay in Europe. That also rules out a potential switch to the Major League Soccer, which is proving to be a hot destination for ageing players.
An extremely interesting prospect is a return to Tottenham Hotspur. Bale has been linked with a Premier League homecoming over the years, and now might the perfect time for that to occur. Spurs were on the rise after they competed in their first-ever Champions League final last season. However, it looks like they have taken two steps back this season as they are currently languishing at 8th and were knocked out of Europe in March.
Signing an icon of the club could boost the players and the fans’ morale. Bale remains a world-class attacker and, on his day, he is unstoppable. Spurs are blessed with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son up-front, but manager Jose Mourinho would fancy the sight of Bale running up and down on the right flank.
Manchester United are also reportedly in the hunt for the Wales skipper with the Reds looking to bolster offensively. They will not have to pay an exorbitant amount for him and have the financial clout to afford his hefty salary. However, for Ed Woodward and co, this might feel like deja vu with Alexis Sanchez still on their wage bill.
As things stand, even if Gareth Bale would love to see out his contract up until 2022 and make handsome money during that time, Real Madrid will hope to get rid of their their most expensive signing of all time.
James Rodriguez
Another player whose fall from grace has been nothing short of perplexing is 29-year-old James Rodriguez. The Colombian international sent shockwaves around the world with his splendid performances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
As a result, Rodriguez was handed the Golden Ball whilst Real Madrid were already preparing a €75 million cheque to be paid to Monaco. The attacking midfielder has racked up 125 appearances over four seasons but has not been able to cement a starting role in the side.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric’s strong-hold in the Real Madrid midfield also meant that James spent most of his time as a back-up, which ultimately lead to him switching to Bayern Munich on loan. Even after two eye-catching seasons at the Allianz Arena, the Germans decided to let go of the South American as he was seen as a misfit at the club. He could not possibly replace the legendary Thomas Muller and his multiple injury issues did not help either.
Since his return to Real Madrid at the start of this season, James has only made 8 La Liga appearances, with more physical setbacks and struggles with form blighting his illustrious career. Zinedine Zidane has also shown that he does not deem him good enough to be a regular starter in his side. Everything now points to James’ inevitable departure from the Bernabeu.
The £250,000-a-week star has been linked with many clubs where he could potentially reignite his career. Manchester United are reportedly one of James’ main options this summer with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the hunt for an attacker. Rodriguez’s capability of playing on either flank and as a number 10 would be a tantalising prospect for any onlooker.
Real Madrid will let James go for a fee in the region of €20 to €30m, with his contract expiring next summer. Both Arsenal and Everton have also been monitoring the Colombian due to his lowered value, but it seems like Wolves could be best-placed to land him this summer.
A few years ago, the possibility of a player of James Rodriguez’s calibre arriving at the Molineux would be laughed at. However, Wolves’ incredible transformation into a highly-competitive Premier League unit under manager Nuno Espirito Santo has now made that distant dream a believable prospect.
James’ super-agent Jorge Mendes also has a massive influence at Wolves as he has helped the club sign some of the biggest Portuguese stars in world football. James could, therefore, join the likes of Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Rui Patricio given Mendes’ strong relationship with the English club’s bosses.
James’ stepfather recently revealed that there was a possibility of him switching to Real Madrid’s cross-town rivals Atletico last summer because of the fact that he and his family were comfortable staying in Spain.
There is little doubt that James Rodriguez will no longer be donning the famous white shirt next season as he looks to reinvigorate his declining career elsewhere.
Luka Jovic
When Luka Jovic joined Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported €60 million last year, there were talks of him being the natural heir to Karim Benzema. And given his attacking exploits in Germany, some felt that he could even better Real Madrid's ageing Frenchman.
The Serbian, however, has had a rocky debut campaign at Real Madrid as he continues to make scant appearances from the bench, scoring just two goals in the entire season. Benzema being Real Madrid's top-scorer and most in-form player has not helped his cause either.
Jovic attracted significant attention last season as he scored 27 goals in all competitions, spearheading Frankfurt into 7th place in the Bundesliga table and also a semi-final berth in the Europa League. The German outfit narrowly lost out on penalties against Chelsea, who eventually went onto lift the coveted trophy.
Jovic is just 22 with a huge career in front of him. It would be premature to rule him out just yet, given his immaculate talents and world-class potential. Also, playing for Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world, naturally puts a lot of pressure on incoming players which could, in turn, affect on-the-pitch performances.
There is no doubt that the former Benfica striker could blossom into one of Europe’s most lethal front-men. But given the Real Madrid fans’ and board’s impatience, will he get second chances at the club? Maybe, or maybe not.
This uncertainty has definitely reverberated across the continent as we are witnessing more and more clubs showcasing interest in order to land the highly-rated forward.
Leicester City are reportedly in pole position to sign the Serb from Real Madrid, with Brendan Rodgers recently claiming that the Foxes will be in the market this summer for a forward. Leicester are fighting for a Champions League spot with three Premier League matchdays to go and if they are to find themselves in Europe next season, luring someone like Jovic would not be a Herculean task.
A potential partnership of Jamie Vardy and Luka Jovic up-front would be a sight-to-behold at the King Power Stadium. If the 2015/16 Premier League champions are to cement their position among the English elite, they will no doubt have to sign some superstar players to take Rodgers’ style of play to the next level.
Leicester’s top-four rivals Chelsea are also reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Luka Jovic. This deal makes little sense as Tammy Abraham had a brilliant debut campaign as Frank Lampard’s first-choice striker, in-form Olivier Giroud recently signed a new contract, and Timo Werner has been signed from RB Leipzig.
Therefore, Luka Jovic would be surplus to the Blues’ requirements, especially when they have to prioritise defenders and are also plotting a bid for Kai Havertz.
Everton and Arsenal are both also linked with Real Madrid's Jovic as they look to strengthen their squads ahead of next season. Joining the Gunners could prove to be a quality move for the youngster as he could finally ignite into life at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal seem to have a fruitful relationship with Real Madrid given that they signed Mesut Ozil from the Spaniards in 2013 and also have Dani Ceballos on-loan currently.
Inter are also in the mix if they have to replace star-man Lautaro Martinez who has been forever linked to Barcelona. However, it seems like the Argentine will not fancy a move this summer as manager Antonio Conte is in the process of building a team that could mount a serious title challenge against Juventus next season.
Real Madrid outcast Luka Jovic could become the latest Serbian import to English football. He would definitely take inspiration from the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Branislav Ivanovic, Aleksandar Kolarov and Nemanja Matic, all of whom have excelled in the English Premier League.
