It’s helter-skelter at Real Madrid after the club ended the 2020/21 campaign without a trophy for the first time in 11 years. To add to the problems, Zinedine Zidane could be on his way out along with the likes of Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez who have not yet inked fresh terms with the club.
The upcoming summer transfer market will prove to be pivotal for Real Madrid to clear out the deadwood and sign younger players. After three consecutive dormant transfer windows, Florentino Perez will need to get cracking in the coming summer and rebuild the side with a thorough sporting project in place that will also reflect on the club’s transfer policies.
In the past few years, Perez seemed to have changed the club transfer policy from high-profile signings to upcoming younger talents. This change has benefited in building a squad for the future, however, the need of the hour at the moment are world-class players, not youngsters who are just kickstarting their senior career on the big stage.
Kylian Mbappe has been identified to be the club’s priority signing and could also turn out to be the insurance signing to keep Zinedine Zidane at the club. However, the 22-year-old is valued at 160 million euros after scoring 46 goals this season.
Paris Saint-Germain will certainly demand a lucrative transfer fee for Mbappe, mainly for two reasons. The Frenchman is on the final year of his contract, and PSG are aware of how desperately Los Blancos require a player of Mbappe’s profile in their eleven.
Having said that, it will not be sweet and short negotiation with Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Real Madrid will need to raise funds for operation Mbappe and I have shortlisted three players that could be sold this summer. These players fit the “Superstar” category and could fetch a decent sum in the market if the right offer lands on the table.
EDEN HAZARD
Eden Hazard was deemed to be Real Madrid’s knight in shining armour following the disastrous 2018/19 season. The 100 million euro signing has failed to live up to the price tag and has been a mere shadow of his past form at the Spanish capital.
In my opinion, Real Madrid have performed far better without Eden Hazard in the team or the squad. Every time the Belgian has returned from an injury during a crucial fixture, it has ended poorly for Los Blancos.
In 2019, against Manchester City, Zinedine Zidane decided to start Hazard in the second leg after just returning from an injury and it ended with being eliminated along with an anonymous performance from Hazard. History repeated itself against Chelsea this season in the Champions League semi-final.
In short, Real has learned how to play without the Belgian and his presence at the club seems to be surplus for me. He earns a hefty wage of 25 million euros a year while barely even playing. Selling Eden Hazard this summer will certainly be the best option rather than hanging on for another year before his market value depreciates any further.
A transfer fee around the ballpark of 50-60 million euros would be ideal. Real Madrid should strike the iron when it’s hot and this is the perfect time to offload Hazard and let Mbappe take over the left-wing which is his preferred position.
MARCO ASENSIO
A tough call, but it seems like the ship has sailed for Marco Asensio. He certainly was one of the brightest talents at the club after his stellar debut season under Zinedine Zidane in 2016/17.
He scored goals against the biggest of teams and on the biggest of stages, including a Champions League final goal against Juventus. However, since his ACL injury in the 2019/20 season, Asensio has struggled to be the same threatening player he once was.
He’s lost that touch of finesse and danger whenever he approaches the opposition box. Earlier, the 25-year-old would take on defenders and have a shot on goal. Now, he prefers playing it safe and either passes the ball back or to the nearest available teammate.
At the age of 25, Asensio can no longer be deemed as a talent anymore and it is high time for him to start performing consistently. This has not been the case for the Spaniard this season who has been far too inconsistent with his performances.
He is currently valued at a mere amount of 35 million euros on the transfer market, and if Real receive an offer above 40 million euros, then they should take it. The winger is on a contract until 2023 and selling him now would be ideal since they can cash in on him rather than let him leave for a bargain in 2022.
MARCELO
Marcelo has been that one Real Madrid player who has always given his 100% every time he stepped on the pitch. Passionate, energetic, and hardworking are a few words that can be used to describe the Brazilian.
In his prime, Marcelo was arguably the best full-back in the world due to his attacking prowess. However, the 33-year-old has regressed with age and is no longer the same left-back he once was.
He’s even lost his spot recently in the team to Miguel Guitierrez from the Castilla. Such has been the downfall of Marcelo over the last few years. Whenever the Brazilian has started in the defence, he has been a liability for the team while defending due to this inability to track back in time.
His poor performances have seen his market value plummet all the way down to 10 million euros. With just a year left on his contract, Real Madrid should sell their vice-captain this summer rather than letting him walk away for free in 2022.
Talking about the possible destination for Marcelo, the Brazilian left-back could be heading to either Juventus or David Beckham’s Inter Miami next season. These two destinations seem fit for Marcelo’s current condition and he could play out the final few years of his senior career at either Juve or Inter Miami. A reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo would be a nice story for football as the two were inseparable during their years at the Spanish capital.