Zidane prepares major cull as part of rebuild

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Real Madrid are preparing to ship out a raft of players who will make way for, and help to fund, the six signings Los Blancos want to make this summer.

Taking into account both current squad members and players returning from loans, Real Madrid are set to ship out over a dozen men this summer.

Raft of Real Madrid exits integral to squad rebuild

The exits will make room for, and/or help to fund, the six purchases Madrid want to make ahead of the 2019/20 campaign (the already-signed Éder Militao and Rodrygo Goes, plus Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy, and Christian Eriksen or Paul Pogba).

Madrid, who have already confirmed that Óscar Rodríguez will spend a second year on loan at Leganés, will offload players in a range of positions. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas will leave, centre-back Jesús Vallejo will make way for Éder Militao and left-backs Sergio Reguilón and Theo Hernández are not in Zinedine Zidane’s plans, with the coach keen on Mendy as understudy to Marcelo.

In midfield, Marcos Llorente, Mateo Kovacic and Dani Ceballos will be shown the door, while Lucas Silva never had any hope of a return to the Spanish capital from Cruzeiro, and has asked to remain at the Brazilian club. Up front, Mariano Díaz, Raúl de Tomás and Borja Mayoral will be left surplus to requirements by the expected arrivals of Jovic and Rodrygo.

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In the wake of UEFA’s introduction of a financial-fair-play rule that limits their transfer spend to 100m euros more than they make from sales, Madrid’s rebuild will in part depend on banking a significant sum from their summer clear-out. With two big names in Gareth Bale and James Rodríguez also on the transfer list, they hope to bring in as much as 300m euros.

Madrid could also pocket Hermoso sell-on fee

Los Merengues may also net the odd percentage of deals that they are not directly involved in. For example, Espanyol will owe them a sell-on fee if they cash in on Bernabéu youth product Mario Hermoso.

Question marks over Isco and Odegaard

Of the players earmarked for the exit, Madrid only have doubts about the futures of Isco and Martin Odegaard. Despite Zidane expressing a preference to hold on to Isco, the club are minded to sell, while Ajax are eyeing a move for Odegaard but, in the wake of his successful loan spell at Vitesse, Madrid president Florentino Pérez was full of praise for him in a radio interview this week.

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