Real Madrid Transfer News Roundup: Los Blancos want to offload Ferland Mendy; midfield duo urged to continue, and more - March 20, 2023

Real Madrid succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at La Liga leaders Barcelona on Sunday (March 19) to fall 12 points behind in the title race, with as many games to go. Carlo Ancelotti's men went ahead through a Ronald Araujo own goal, but the hosts responded through Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessie.

Meanwhile, Los Blancos are looking to offload Ferland Mendy this summer. Elsewhere, a former player has urged Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to continue their career.

On that note, here's a look at the key Real Madrid transfer stories as on March 20, 2023:

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Real Madrid want to offload Ferland Mendy

Ferland Mendy's time at the Santiago Bernabeu could be coming to an end.

Real Madrid are looking to offload Ferland Mendy this summer, according to El Nacional.

The French left-back has dropped down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu and is no longer first choice under Ancelotti. David Alaba, Nacho Fernandez and even Eduardo Camavinga have been used ahead of the 27-year-old, who has hit a plateau in the last few seasons.

Mendy was not in the starting XI for this weekend's El Clasico, with Nacho used in the left-back position. Los Blancos have run out of patience with the Frenchman and are ready to sell him for €40 million at the end of the season.

The 27-year-old's contract with the La Liga giants runs till 2025. Mendy joined Real Madrid in 2019 and has registered 130 appearances across competitions, scoring five goals and setting up ten.

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Luka Modric and Toni Kroos urged to continue

Luka Modric (centre) has maintained his standards through the years.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Michael Laudrup reckons Luka Modric and Toni Kroos should continue playing.

The two stalwarts of Los Blancos' midfield are in the final phase of their career, and there have been calls for them to hang their boots. However, the duo continue to be decisive for the La Liga giants and gave a timely reminder of their quality against Liverpool last week.

Speaking to AS, Laudrup said that Kroos and Madrid's abilities, apart from their reading of the game, make them invaluable.

"Football has changed a lot compared to when I played. Before, you could have a bad day at 28, and nothing happened, but if you had several bad games at 31 or 32, it was already said that you could be in the final stretch of your career. Today is different, above all, because of the evolution in how players take care of themselves," said Laudrup.

He added:

"There are more and more players who are still at a very high level at 34, 35 or 36 years of age. If on top of that, you have as much quality as Modric and Kroos, it happens that they continue to give recitals, like on Wednesday against Liverpool at the Bernabéu."

He continued:

"When I talk about quality, I’m not just referring to technique, which they obviously have, but also tactics, how they view football. They almost always choose the best solution based on each moment. It’s awesome."

Kroos and Modric are in the final few months of their Real Madrid contract, but are yet to sign a new deal.

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Carlo Ancelotti opens up on Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard is a peripheral figure at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti has said that Eden Hazard's lack of game time at Real Madrid is due to intense competition for places at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Belgian forward has managed just seven appearances across competitions this season for Los Blancos, scoring once. The 32-year-old has failed to live up to expectations since joining the La Liga champions from Chelsea in 2019.

Speaking to Eleven Sports, as cited by AS, Ancelotti said that he selects his best team to ensure Real Madrid win games.

"It is a rather complicated situation because Hazard deserves to play because of the quality he has, but it is a big squad, and there is a lot of competition. I am not here to give playing time to the players; my job is to ensure that Madrid win matches," said Ancelotti.

He added:

"I don’t decide on the lineups based on age or what the players earn. I don’t know what Hazard earns. I draw up the lineups so that Madrid can win games."

Hazard's contract runs out in less than 18 months, but Los Blancos are likely to let him leave this summer if they receive a decent offer.