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What's the rumour?
According to reports from Spanish media outlet Marca, Zinedine Zidane had personal chats with three players and told them that they are no longer needed at Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos, and Marcos Llorente are the players Zidane wants to get rid of and the Los Blancos boss revealed that to them.
In case you didn't know...
Real Madrid are currently enduring an abysmal campaign. Zinedine Zidane is their third manager in the current season after his last two predecessors were sacked due to a string of poor results.
Los Blancos suffered a premature exit in the Champions League as Ajax humiliated them in the Round of 16 stage of the competition. Madrid were also knocked out from the Copa del Rey semi-finals after defeats against Barcelona and they currently sit third in the league table, 15 points behind winners Barcelona.
In fact, Real Madrid failed to win even once against their fierce rivals in the four times they met in the current season. It goes without saying that the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo had a major effect and the fact that most stars failed to perform added to their misery.
The heart of the matter
Real Madrid are planning a major overhaul in the upcoming summer transfer window. They are willing to offload some key players and revamp the squad with some new faces.
According to the report, Zidane has already told Bale, Ceballos, and Llorente that they are surplus to requirements of the team. The Frenchman gave limited game time to the three players and revealed his intentions to them. Zidane had little contact with these players even in his previous stint and he is not impressed with their performances.
Moreover, Marcelo also had a chat with Zidane but the left back's future is safe as Zidane intends to keep him.
What's next?
With nothing to play for in the season, Real Madrid will hope to finish the season on a strong note. Los Blancos will take on Real Sociedad and Real Betis in the remaining two matches of their La Liga campaign.
