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After the horrors of last season, Real Madrid has wasted no time in fixing what was lost last season.
After the exit of Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, it was expected that Los Blancos would react appropriately in the transfer market. This did not happen and the team lurched like a drunken sailor throughout the season.
With the return of Zidane at the tail end of last season, Real supremo, Florentino Perez has wasted no time in refurbishing the team. Long-term target, Eden Hazard has finally been signed up from Chelsea. Young Serbian hotshot striker, Luka Jovic has also joined from Eintracht Frankfurt and left-back, Ferland Mendy has entered from Olympique Lyon.
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This was in addition to the already-signed young Brazilian duo of centre-back Eder Militao & winger, Rodrygo Goes. Given the already existing numbers and the return of loanees like James Rodriguez and Mateo Kovacic, there is already a pressing need to reduce the number of players in the squad.
Here is a look at 5 players who have no future at the club and need to find their pastures elsewhere:
#5. Jesus Vallejo
Much was expected of the youngster when he came on board a couple of years ago at Real Zaragoza.
Bought for €6m with an eye to the future in 2016, he has been given time to develop outside the pressure cooker of the Santiago Bernabeu with loan spells at Zaragoza and Eintracht Frankfurt. Creditable performances led him to be brought back by Zidane in 2017 but injuries and inconsistent performances have derailed his Real Madrid career.
With the arrival of Militao and the extension handed to Nacho Fernandez, it’s clear that there is no room for him any longer. A move to a smaller La Liga club or midtable team outside Spain would do him a world of good and give him time to grow into the talent he has shown intermittently.
#4. Theo Hernandez
The unravelling of Hernandez has been painful to watch for those who had followed his rapid rise. The Frenchman is still just 21 and has the unique distinction of being signed by the two Madrid giants; Atletico where he started out and Real Madrid.
However, in the years he has been at these clubs, he has made a total of just 22 appearances (all at Real Madrid 2 seasons ago). He has spent a majority of his time out on loan at Deportivo Alaves and last season, at Real Sociedad.
His impetuous and headstrong nature has done him no favours as he has come across as difficult to manage. The fact that his elder brother, Lucas has gone on to become a regular at Atletico Madrid and World Cup winner with France before an €80m move to Bayern Munich this summer has made Theo's apparent decline even sadder.
The arrival of Mendy in a €48m move from Lyon and the emergence of Sergio Reguilon from La Fabrica means the days of Marcelo are numbered at the Bernabeu.
It also means that there is absolutely no chance that Theo will get a look-in and he will need to go elsewhere to rebuild his career.
#3. Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian midfielder has played a bit-part role for Real Madrid since he joined from Inter Milan in 2013 under Rafa Benitez. Brought in to supplement Luka Modric, Kovacic has looked good in bits during the three UCL-winning campaigns under Zidane.
Alongside Alvaro Morata, Isco, Rodriguez and others, they gave the Real Madrid bench a quality that would have been the envy of many teams across the world.
His loan spell at Chelsea did not go well as his ponderous, possession-for-possession-sake style failed to add anything to a Blues side that was admittedly problematic on its own.
The loan move has actually contributed to reducing his appeal to Europe's top clubs. With just two years left on his current contract, a possible renewal would be a bad idea for both club and player.
Given his relationship with Zidane - who has shown no desire to give him the game time he feels he deserves - Kovacic is almost certainly going to leave the club this summer.
It’s unclear what club he would be moving to but a move back to Serie A could be the best for him to restart his career.
#2. Keylor Navas
The Costa-Rican international has been a brilliant servant to Real Madrid ever since he joined after the 2014 World Cup.
He has always been a brilliant shot-stopper but has had issues with clangers and dominating his space. The arrival of Thibault Courtois last season signalled the beginning of the end for the 32-year-old.
While both goalies got game time last season, it became clear that the Belgian would be the main man for the long term. Navas has always been Zidane's favourite, which was the reason why he refused to allow the club to go for Kepa Arrizabalaga in 2018 (before he joined Chelsea).
However, even the French manager has realized that he cannot give both goalies the game time both crave and one of them will have to go.
Given that Courtois is younger (27), it makes more sense for the club to let go of Navas. Big clubs in need of a short-term, experienced goalie (PSG, AS Roma amongst others) will be looking at the Costa Rican and given Real Madrid’s need to let players go, a deal can be done.
#1. James Rodriguez
Despite being supremely talented, Rodriguez is perhaps the best example of the slow and ultimate death of the traditional playmaker/Number 10 in modern football.
The Colombian did really well during his loan spell at Bayern Munich but the Bavarians' manager, Niko Kovac has been reluctant to play him in his preferred role.
This is a view shared by Zidane, as a lack of first team action led to him being sent on loan in the first place. There is obviously no place for the 27-year-old in the new look side being assembled at the Bernabeu.
The arrival of Hazard and the contract renewals of Toni Kroos and Modric means that the Colombian international will have to be content with an extended stay on the substitutes' bench if he chooses to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
That would be terrible for a player of his quality and standing and a move out of Real Madrid will be in the best interests of both parties.
A move to Napoli has been mooted, while the rumoured desire by certain Premier League clubs looks to be dead on arival, given the stylistic differences.
