Real Madrid’s Summer Clearout: Transfer Specials

After a woeful season, it’s no secret that Real Madrid will be seeking fresh blood this summer. Zinedine Zidane most likely wouldn’t have taken the job had he not been promised significant funds not to mention control over who comes in.

However in the era of PSG, Manchester City and unprecedented Premier League wealth, Real Madrid can no longer simply out-muscle the rest of Europe in the transfer market. As well as some of the deadwood in the current squad, they have a host of players returning from loan deals this summer and before they can afford to spend big, they will need to shift a host of players to create some funds and make room for those much awaited new arrivals.

Here are some of the big name players that have been linked with a summer exit and the odds on where they might be heading.

Check out our dedicated La Liga page with links to all our betting tips and match previews here.

Gareth Bale – 3/1 to Join Manchester United

Gareth Bale’s future is certainly one that will be very much up for discussion. It’s no secret that his relationship with Zinedine Zidane isn’t the best. In previous seasons Bale may have had a case to be mystified at his exclusion from some key games. However this term he has failed to produce the goods for three different coaches and the Bernabeu crowd has now very much turned against the Welshman.

A summer exit appears the best solution for all parties and Real Madrid would gladly listen to offers. However Bale has repeatedly stated his desire is to stay in the Spanish capital. His form this season has been so poor that it’s hard to see anyone being willing to match his reported £250,000/week wages or pay a huge fee for a player who turns 30 in July. The only likely candidate is perhaps Manchester United, who may struggle to compete for the best players on the market this summer with Champions League football looking less likely. Read more on the race for the Champions League places in the Premier League here.

Despite Real’s desire to sell him, Bale is now as short as 1/2 not to sign for any other club before the start of next season.

Isco – 10/3 to join Manchester City

Another man who has been on the fringes at the Bernabeu this season, not producing anything like his best form has been Isco. A falling out with Santi Solari left him struggling to even make the subs bench at times but the return of Zinedine Zidane in theory was good news for him.

On his day, Isco is a match-winner but Real Madrid rarely play with a number 10, which is basically his position. Zinedine Zidane has so far persisted with a 4-3-3 and that does raise questions as to how Isco will fit into his plans moving forward.

However unlike Bale, Isco retains the support of most Real Madrid fans and he also tends to be championed by the media in Spain. Manchester City lead the race to sign him at 10/3 but it’s doubtful whether he’d even get into the City side right now.

There has also long been talk that Isco is a player whose style of play is better suited to Barcelona than Real Madrid and if you fancy a real shock transfer story to materialise in Spain this summer, you can back Isco to sign for Barca at 14/1.

Marcelo – 10/11 to join Juventus

A more likely summer departure is that of Marcelo who has been very poor this season and whose time at the Bernabeu may well be heading to an end. The one thing he does have in his favour is that he appears to be a favourite of Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman was quick to reinstate Marcelo over the impressive Sergio Reguilon on his return to the role but even he must be starting to lose faith with the Brazilian who has been the weak link even in a Real Madrid side that has been as collectively poor as they have been this season.

Marcelo is known to be close to Cristiano Ronaldo and a reunion in Turin may appeal. Like Bale though he has claimed he is keen to stay in Madrid but like a few other Real Madrid players, he may be given a gentle shove towards the exit this summer and a move to Juventus might be the outcome.

A lot has to happen though before this transfer materialises and at 10/11 with Betfair, it seems like quite a risk.

Another Real Madrid defender who has been linked with an exit is Raphael Varane. Read more on where he might be heading here.

Marco Asensio – 9/1 to join Chelsea

Marco Asensio is yet another Real Madrid player who has had a really disappointing season and is struggling to live up to his early promise. At 23, Asensio still has plenty of time to develop and Real would be reluctant sellers at this point you’d imagine. However if they fail to move some of the other players on, they may be forced to consider a large offer for Asensio if one comes in.

One situation that at least seems plausible is that Marco Asensio moves to Chelsea as part of the Eden Hazard deal. The Chelsea wideman is widely expected to move to the Bernabeu this summer and if the Londoners could get Asensio to move in the other direction, that might at least sweeten the deal somewhat. You can get odds of 9/1 for Asensio to move to Stamford Bridge, however any deal is clearly dependent on Chelsea’s transfer ban being lifted.

Toni Kroos – 15/2 to join Bayern Munich

While the likes of Bale and Marcelo have been the most obvious candidates for criticism this season, the likes of Casemiro and Toni Kroos have slipped under the radar a bit despite equally disappointing campaigns.

Kroos is currently 2/5 to stay put at Real Madrid so you can get decent value if you fancy him to move on elsewhere. With Los Blancos believed to be keen on at least launching a bid for Paul Pogba, there’s certainly reason to think we could see a bit of a midfield reshuffle this season. The likes of Dani Ceballos, Fede Valverde and Marcos Llorente are already pushing for more regular football and if there is to be something of a generation shift, Kroos could be one of the fall guys.

At 15/2, he looks really good value to rejoin Bayern Munich this summer, five years on from his initial departure. Bayern are set to lose some of their most experienced players and while they are keen to put their focus on reinvesting in youth, a player of Kroos’ age and experience may be a real asset as the Bavarians look to usher in a new era.

Read more on the race for the Bundesliga title on our dedicated German football page.