Real Madrid have already gotten down to business for the 2021-22 season with the reappointment of Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Pintus as the first team manager and head physical trainer respectively.
The club is already heading in the right direction for the new season and has recently renewed terms with Lucas Vazquez as well. The past two weeks have seen Madridista’s reach cloud nine with all the official announcements. It could get better from here or it could go worse from this point until the end of the transfer window.
Carlo Ancelotti will look to make a few signings at the club provided the board supports his plans. There will also be a couple of departures from the club to address the inflated wage bill. I’ve looked into the current situation come up with a few bold transfer predictions for Real Madrid this summer transfer market. Let’s have a look.
SERGIO RAMOS WILL LEAVE
There’s no room for nostalgia this summer and there’s nothing one can do about it either. Sergio Ramos is heading towards a bitter exit from Real Madrid and only time will tell where he will be playing next season.
Sergio Ramos did try to drive a hard bargain with Florentino Perez to secure a favourable deal. The 35-year-old has certainly barked up the wrong tree by trying to negotiate a better deal against Perez- a hardcore businessman who will not stoop for another person’s demands, even if that person is Sergio Ramos.
The latest developments in this renewal fiasco state that it’s all over for the captain and Perez. The relationship is beyond repair and Ramos’ exit seems certain this time around, claims Marca. If this is it for Sergio at Real, it would certainly be a bitter pill to swallow to watch the club’s captain walkout over a contract renewal disparity.
GARETH BALE MIGHT BE SOLD
Carlo Ancelotti made it clear on his first day at the office that he has Gareth Bale in his plans. The Italian is confident in re-energising Gareth Bale’s confidence and passion for the club which seemed to have diminished after he fell out with Zinedine Zidane.
While Bale is certainly an excellent addition to the team’s arsenal given his attacking quality, Real Madrid might just be forced into selling the winger. He earns 22 million euros a year as wages and it’s evident that Madrid are trying to reduce their wage bill. Put Ramos’ and Bale’s wages together that’s approximately 40 million euros that can be removed from the payroll this summer.
As much as Carlo Ancelotti might want Gareth Bale to be part of his system, Real Madrid may not think twice before offloading the Welshman after setting their sight on Kylian Mbappe. However, it might not be that easy to offload the winger due to his injury track record coupled with his enormous wages that most clubs cannot afford post-pandemic.
But, if Real Madrid somehow manages to offload Bale and Ramos, they could free up enough wages on the payroll for Los Blancos to meet Mbappe’s demands this summer.
KYLIAN MBAPPE WILL BE ANNOUCED IN AUGUST
I truly believe that Kylian Mbappe will sign for Real Madrid this summer transfer window. The club knows exactly how important a player of his calibre is required in the squad and with Mbappe in the front three- the sky is the limit.
Karim Benzema’s recent interview where he spoke about Mbappe and Madrid has given me all the more hope that the 22-year-old will push for a move this summer to complete his dream transfer.
"“Him coming to Real, that would be ideal,” Benzema said. “All the great players want to come to Real Madrid one day so I hope that it gets done quickly… assuming he wants to leave PSG, who are a good team too”- Karim Benzema’s interview."
He is currently on the back of an expiring contract that runs out in 2022, if PSG fail to convince the Frenchman to renew terms then they will be forced into selling him immediately. However, Real Madrid might have to wait until August to strike a deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
As of now, Kylian Mbappe is completely focused on performing in the Euro 2020 with France. The Frenchman will avoid falling into the trap of a transfer saga during such an important moment of his career and will address questions about his future once his international duty ends.
THE LAST DANCE FOR EDEN HAZARD
It’s been yet another difficult season for Eden Hazard after his horrific debut that was marred by injuries. The Belgian forward has dealt with the same issues once again in his second season at the Spanish capital. It seemed like he was living on thin ice after the whole fiasco following Real Madrid’s elimination against Chelsea and his gesture with his former teammates.
However, the ship has not yet sailed for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. The 30-year-old will continue next season despite the several rumours linking with an exit. Hazard himself addressed the media while on international duty with Belgium that he will continue with Los Blancos next season.
Carlo Ancelotti also spoke highly of Eden Hazard during his first press conference since being reappointed. Hazard also responded with an optimistic statement by calling the Italian a very friendly person who just wants to win.
This will be Hazard’s third season at Real Madrid and possibly his final one if he fails to turn things around. As much as the Belgian might want to perform at his highest level for Los Blancos, his frequent injuries are something that he has little to no control over. If the 30-year-old has another injury-plagued season at the Spanish capital, it could well and truly be all over for him.
DANI CEBALLOS AND MARTIN ODEGAARD STAY
Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard will be returning from their loan spells from Arsenal. The former has already made it clear that he is against the idea of going out on another loan, while the latter shares somewhat the same feeling. The two former Arsenal midfielder are looking to secure a role under Carlo Ancelotti this season and they just might.
It is obvious that Ceballos and Odegaard will not be handed guaranteed starter roles, however, they could play a prominent role when the midfield requires a rotation. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are catching up with age and require thorough backups.
Real Madrid currently have Federico Valverde as the only central midfielder as the likes of Martin Odegaard and Isco are more attacking midfielders. Having said that, Dani Ceballos is still a quality player despite his sub-par performance with Arsenal this season.
The former Real Betis midfielder could be an excellent option to rotate the midfield with Valverde. Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard could become Carlo Ancelotti’s wild attacking card. to break down certain oppositions. The Italian loves a creative number 10 and the Norwegian fits the role as well.
With that being said, we can expect both Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard to continue at Real Madrid next season. Meanwhile, Isco is expected to be sold.