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Real Madrid are expected to make a couple of big signings this summer and to do that, they will need to sell a few players first.
Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid side are currently third in the La Liga table and still have an outside chance of winning the title. Los Blancos' recruitment department has received a lot of criticism of late for burning a lot of money on players who were not a great fit for the club.
Several of their big-money signings have not worked out and their old guard cannot keep going forever. As such, Real Madrid need to rope in a fresh batch of players to revitalize their squad. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the club is not in great financial shape either.
As such, they need to offload a few players to fund moves for their top transfer targets this summer. Without further ado, let's take a look at those players that Real Madrid could sell this summer.
5 players Real Madrid could sell this summer
#5 Luka Jovic
Luka Jovic is not a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. The Serbian striker has shown a lot of quality but his final product is lacking. Currently on loan at his former club Eintracht Frankfurt, it doesn't look like the 23-year-old will be welcomed back to Real Madrid.
Jovic's return to his former club has not worked out as planned. Frankfurt now have a prolific striker in Andre Silva and a team with a formation that plays to the strengths of wingers Amin Younes and Felipe Costic.
Jovic has been used as an impact substitute at Frankfurt and has scored just three goals for the Bundesliga outfit this season.
Jovic's ball-carrying abilities have improved and so has his ability to create chances. However, these things often slip under the radar at big clubs as long as the output in terms of goals does not match the graft. Jovic could very well be sold in the summer by Real Madrid.
#4 Isco
Zinedine Zidane's patience is running thin as far as Isco is concerned. The Spaniard was in the doghouse for a major part of the season. He has featured more of late but that has more to do with the injury problems at the Santiago Bernabeu than anything else.
Isco has started just six games across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this term and it is as clear as day that he is not part of Zinedine Zidane's plans. As such, Isco is almost certain to be offloaded in the summer and he could fetch Los Blancos a significant amount of money.
Isco's current contract will run out in the summer of 2022. It doesn't look like Real Madrid will offer him a new deal and hence we fully expect them to cash in on the midfielder this summer.
#3 Marcelo
Marcelo is yet another player whose contract expires in 2022. He reportedly earns €8 million a year at Real Madrid and given that he is no longer first choice and is in his 30s, it doesn't look like the club is keen to extend his contract.
It makes sense for them to cash in on the Brazilian this summer with several teams interested in signing him. Marcelo will need to take a paycut but that's just the price he will have to pay to play more regularly.
Real Madrid have struggled a bit whenever Marcelo has replaced Ferland Mendy in the starting lineup. It looks like the time for the club and the player to part ways has finally arrived after 14 years.
#2 Gareth Bale
Selling Gareth Bale will be a major relief for Real Madrid. It will free up a lot of funds on their wage bill. Bale reportedly earns €600,000 per week which is currently split by Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, where he is playing on loan till the end of the season.
After being out with injuries for the majority of the first half of the season, Bale seems to have hit his stride at Tottenham. He has been quite impressive of late and there is a possibility that Spurs will want to sign him on a permanent basis.
The Welshman will need to take a paycut to join them as Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy is very particular about the club's wage structure. But Real Madrid will be happy to just have him off their books and are unlikely to slap a hefty price tag on him.
#1 Raphael Varane
Real Madrid centre-back and World Cup winner Raphael Varane's time at the Santiago Bernabeu might be drawing to a close. As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid are under huge financial pressure and Varane is yet another player who has entered the final fifteen months of his contract.
Varane is reportedly keen to explore life away from Madrid and the 27-year-old has a lot of potential suitors. Real Madrid will have much less bargaining power next January transfer window and they'd ideally want to sell him this summer if they can still recoup a fair amount of money.
As opposed to Sergio Ramos' situation, Varane is not motivated by a lucrative contract and as such, there's very little Real Madrid can do to persuade him to kick on at the Santiago Bernabeu. If Varane informs Real Madrid that he wants out, chances are that they won't stand in his way.
