Gareth Bale, Isco Could Reportedly Leave Real Madrid as Part of Summer Overhaul
The likes of Gareth Bale and Isco could reportedly be sold by Real Madrid this summer as they plan to fund an overhaul of the team by "selling two or three men who can command sizeable fees."
According to AS' Sergio Gomez, the Welshman is among the biggest potential casualties as Real are "seriously considering" his sale, as club officials no longer believe he can be the man to inherit Cristiano Ronaldo's throne.
Likewise, Bale is also considering his options amid reported interest from Manchester United, and Real will hope to receive over €100 million for him if he leaves.
He has struggled with injury in recent years and has missed 58 matches because of fitness issues in the last three seasons, per Transfermarkt.
The winger also appears to have lost the confidence of manager Zinedine Zidane, having played just 36 minutes across Real's two-legged UEFA Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain, where once he was guaranteed a starting berth.
He's not the only player Zidane seemingly lacks confidence in, as Isco feels he does not have it either:
The Spaniard was speaking after netting a hat-trick in Spain's 6-1 friendly win over Argentina on Tuesday. Isco has been given plenty of opportunities by the Frenchman, having started 29 matches this season, but he has been withdrawn before the final whistle on all but six occasions.
According to Gomez, he will also be assessing his future this summer.
Meanwhile, a number of squad players are set to depart, either on loan or with a buy-back clause. Per Gomez, Achraf Hakimi, Jesus Vallejo, Marcos Llorente, Borja Mayoral and Dani Ceballos are to hold talks with Real regarding their future prospects, "with most of them likely to leave."
Managing Madrid's Lucas Navarrete noted Llorente and Ceballos have been conspicuous by their absence of late, while colleague Kiyan Sobhani was impressed with the latter as he laid on an assist for Mayoral in Spain under-21s' 3-1 win over Estonia's youth side on Tuesday:
Ceballos' lack of minutes has been particularly strange following his arrival last summer, as his talent is clear to see when he is given the chance to stretch his legs.
Indeed, the 21-year-old even bagged a brace in one of his two La Liga starts this season, but it hasn't done him any favours—his only other starts have been in the Copa del Rey, and he has played a total of just 715 minutes.
He stands out as one youngster Real should perhaps consider keeping hold of, though allowing their younger players to enjoy greater game time elsewhere could help their development.
Madrid should approach the summer with caution, though, if they plan to let a number of first-team players go.
Strength in depth and the ability to rotate was key to Los Blancos' double last season, but the departures of Alvaro Morata, James Rodriguez and Pepe in the summer left them wanting this year, which is one reason they trail Barcelona by 15 points in La Liga.
The injection of fresh blood could benefit the side this summer, but they will need to be careful to avoid last year's mistakes.
