Just under a month remains until the transfer window closes, and Real Madrid is desperately looking for ways to offload some players. An overly bloated wage structure must be trimmed to make room for any new signings.
The long-time target Mbappe will occupy a sizable chunk of salary if he arrives, making it even more crucial to free up wage space. Some underperforming players have sky-high wages, making them unattractive to clubs.
Nonetheless, many of them are coming to the end of their contracts and will probably leave Real Madrid by 2022.
Here we look at three players who will very likely leave the club by the summer of 2022.
Marcelo
The first player on our list is the current club captain, Marcelo. Marcelo has had an incredibly illustrious career at Real Madrid. The 2021/22 season will be his 16th for the club and probably the last one.
The defender arrived at the Bernabeu in 2006 and has been a fixture at left-back ever since. The marauding Brazilian went on to carry the legacy left by Roberto Carlos. Marcelo won multiple silverware at the club, most notably four champions league titles. He could even surpass Paco Gento’s record for most trophies won for Real Madrid.
However, the decline started in the 2018/19 season, when Marcelo lost his place to Sergio Reguilón. From that campaign onwards, Marcelo has been more of a liability for the team, and often his defensive errors outshine his attacking contributions. Going into the next campaign, the club captain finds himself down the pecking order. His defensive frailties mean that Mendy gets the upper hand. Moreover, Miguel Gutiérrez is looking promising, which could further dampen Marcelo’s playing chance.
The situation has changed slightly now that Ancelotti has returned at the helm. The Italian may find a way to utilize Marcelo and bring a happy ending to his glorious career at the club.