Real Madrid made an explosive start to the transfer window last summer. They signed midfield prodigy Aurélien Tchouaméni from AS Monaco for a reported fee of €100m and announced the arrival of Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer.
However, Los Blancos faded away in the market after that, staying away from making more big-money signings. They also parted ways with a few players, including Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro.
The defending Champions League and La Liga winners have made a good start to the 2022-23 season. They are second in the league table and are set to face Liverpool in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.
Los Blancos still have a big squad and will be ideally looking to offload some unused players in January to free up the wage bill. It will also allow them to get better players in the future.
On that note, this article will look at three players that Real Madrid should offload in the January transfer window.
#3 Álvaro Odriozola
The Spaniard was tipped to be the successor to Dani Carvajal at right-back for Real Madrid and Spain. However, Odriozola has failed to live up to his reputation. He could be offloaded as the right-back has failed to make any significant contributions this season.
He is currently on loan at Fiorentina, where he has scored one goal and laid down two assists in 25 games. Madrid will look to make that move permanent or find him a new home for the long-term come January.
He can also play as a winger but Carlo Ancelotti is yet to find a place for Odriozola. It doesn't appear to be something that will change anytime soon.
#2 Eden Hazard
Real Madrid signed Eden Hazard from Chelsea with a lot of fan fair. He was tipped to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu after joining them in the summer of 2019.
However, the script has gone horribly wrong for the Belgian winger in Spain. He has been off the pitch for large chunks due to injuries and form issues. Hazard ended the 2021-22 season with one goal and two assists in 23 games.
He has made only six appearances this season, scoring one goal and laying out one assist. He has massively underperformed and could be shipped out come January. His replacement Vinicius Junior has made the position his own for Los Blancos.
#1 Mariano Diaz
Mariano was tipped to be a great player for Real Madrid. However, the pressure got to him and he has faded away over the years. He is massively underperforming at Real Madrid right now and could be sold in January.
He recorded one goal and one assist in 11 games last season. He is yet to get a return in five games this season. He is the only recognized striker in the team besides Karim Benzema, which is maybe why he has earned some game time despite playing poor football.
His poor form coupled with injuries has all but finished his Real Madrid career. It would be a good move for all involved parties to part ways come January.