Real Madrid, the reigning Spanish and European champions, may be excused for believing that if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it, but there might still be some activity in the January transfer window.
Nearly every player in the world of football has Real as their ultimate dream team, and los Blancos rarely trade away a player unless they choose to.
The record 14-time European champions have an incredible team, but there is still some dead wood to get rid of now and then. This January may be one of those times.
Toni Kroos
Of all the players on this list, Kroos is as far from being dead wood as it is possible to get. The veteran Germany midfielder continues to start the majority of Real’s games despite competition from the younger Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.
However, Kroos’ deal at Real Madrid is up next summer, and Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, is rumored to be interested in signing the midfielder. And both parties agree.
When City showed interest in Kroos in November, the player remarked, “Guardiola fought until the last day for me to stay at Bayern. “Guardiola would be the ideal coach for my style of play, if I had to pick one. I had a great year with him, and he helped me a lot.”
Marco Asensio
Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and Rodrygo have been preferred in the wide attacking positions this season, while Asensio has been limited to just one La Liga start and 179 minutes overall. Asensio has fallen much farther out of favor than Kroos.
Asensio’s contract expires in the summer of 2023, similar to Kroos’s, and a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Juventus, and others, are prepared to pounce on the Spain international winger before then and acquire him for a steep discount.
Eden Hazard
Following his €146.1 million transfer from Chelsea in the summer of 2019, Hazard is still Real’s most expensive signing of all time, easily surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale on that particular podium. However, things haven’t gone well for the Belgian winger.
Since then, Hazard has contributed seven goals and 11 assists, and Real are frantically trying to get rid of the 31-year-old before his contract expires in 2024. His most likely destinations in the Premier League appear to be high-budget, middle-status teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Alvaro Odriozola
Another player with no future at the Bernabeu is Odriozola. With Dani Carvajal as their first choice and Lucas Vazquez as his first backup, Real are well-stocked at right-back, and Odriozola has been advised to look for a new team.
A return to Italy, even on a temporary basis, may be in the cards for the midfielder who has previously been loaned out to Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, unless Nottingham Forest decides they need yet another player in the position during the January transfer window.
Mariano Diaz
Despite previously being a prolific scorer for Real Madrid’s B and C sides as well as while a loan with Lyon in 2018–19, Diaz is unable to make an impression on the Los Blancos’ starting lineup.
Even though Endrick won’t join Real until the summer of 2024 and Karim Benzema is injured, Richarlison and Ronaldo have both been mentioned as possible strikers.
The most recent team to explore a contract is Wolverhampton Wanderers.
