Changes we expect from Real Madrid in the summer

Real Madrid is hopeful they can end this season with a trophy, which will probably mean winning the Champions League, a different situation to last season.

Los Blancos won the league and UCL in the last campaign, but Barcelona has a much better La Liga campaign this time, and they do not seem ready to allow Madrid or any other club to come near them.

This means Madrid might have to focus on one competition they know how to win very well, the UCL, and they showed in the last round against Liverpool why everyone should fear them.

At the Bernabeu, success is a must, and the Whites are addicted to excellence, which is one thing that has kept them as the top club in European football.

Every player and manager who has represented Real Madrid knows there is no room for mediocrity at the club, and it always takes time to make changes when things do not go to plan.

For the Spaniards, it is their birthright to always win major trophies, and that includes winning the league every term and doing the double, alongside the UCL, if possible.

This standard must be met for a manager to keep his job and for players to keep their place on the team, which is why Madrid never shies away from Splashing the cash on new men.

No matter how this season ends, we expect them to make some big decisions in the summer, and several changes are expected from Los Blancos.

In this article, we discuss some of them as we brace ourselves to see a new Madrid in the 2023/2024 season. 

Keep or lose Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has been one of Madrid’s most successful managers in the two spells he has had at the club.

The Italian is one of the best managers in the world and has managed the top sides in Spain, Germany, England, Italy and France.

Managers hardly come better than him in the world we live in, and any club will never want to part ways with the very likeable Italian.

However, in Madrid, popular opinions do not matter, and excellence is the only thing that can keep you at a job.

Despite winning the league and UCL last term, Madrid has still not offered the former AC Milan gaffer a new deal, and he could leave at the end of the campaign.

Ancelotti’s current deal expires in 2024, meaning he has one more season to run, but he has been linked with the Brazil national team job.

Ideally, this should make Madrid offer him a new long-term deal, but that hasn’t happened, suggesting the Spaniards do not mind losing one of the best managers around.

In the summer, we expect a decision to be made on his future, and it might not be the most positive for him.

Although Don Carlo has won 30 of his first 43 games as manager this season, if Madrid fails to secure a trophy at the end of the term, the Madrid board could sack him.

This means we will see a new man at the helm, and perhaps that rumour about the Brazilian managerial job could become true.

Replace Luka Modric

Luka Modric has repeatedly said he wants to retire at Real Madrid, and the midfielder has continued to prove he is an important player.

At 37, the Croatian still starts ahead of the several new midfielders Madrid has added to their squad already.

This makes him one player we can trust to see shining whenever Los Blancos step on the field to play.

However, Madrid reportedly wants him to stop playing for his national team, which he also leads.

This is a decision many footballers take if they want to save energy and commit more to their clubs.

However, Modric seems ever-hungry to represent Croatia, and the midfielder has refused to bow to pressure to focus on club commitments.

This could be an issue when Madrid attempts to hand him a new deal, and they would be smart to find a replacement for the midfielder.

Even if Modric signs a new Madrid contract, the midfielder just has a few more seasons left in him as a professional footballer and Los Blancos must be proactive.

If a new midfielder joins to replace him next season, the Croat will groom the midfielder before he eventually leaves Madrid or retires from football.

Buy a replacement for Benzema

Just like Modric, Benzema looks ever-green, and he is one reason fans have bought Real Madrid tickets in the last few seasons.

Benzema scored 44 goals in 46 games last season as Madrid won the league and Champions League.

He has been injury-prone in this campaign but has still scored 19 times in 29 games.

The Frenchman seems to be a late bloomer and gets better with age. However, he will not play football forever, and Madrid must start to find a replacement for him.

At 35, Benzema is already older than some football managers around the world and players rarely reach that age in active football.

He can probably play around two more seasons for Madrid, but the time has come for them to replace the Frenchman or at least sign a proper understudy for him.

Reports have linked the likes of Harry Kane and Dusan Vlahovic to Los Merengues, and either striker will do a superb job at the Bernabeu.

But Kane will be 30 in July and Madrid will probably overlook him and sign a much younger striker.

Sort out the future of fringe players

Real Madrid has one of the biggest squads in European football and this explains why a top talent like Marco Asensio is struggling to play for them regularly.

The attacker is just one in the list and there are most top players who cannot get near the Madrid first team at the moment.

Some of them have deals that run out at the end of the term, which means the club probably has an easy decision to make on their future.

Asensio, Eden Hazard, Dani Ceballos, and Mariano Diaz need to leave if the club wants to make progress.

It is always great for clubs to have options because it helps them not to rely on just a few men.

However, at Madrid, if you are good enough you will play often and these fringe players have been out of favour long enough.

If the club cannot agree on a new deal with Asensio, we expect him to leave. If Hazard still doesn’t get playing chances, the Whites must offload the Belgian, even if it means sending him out on loan.

Diaz has played less than 40 league games for Madrid since he returned to the club in 2018, which is shocking, and there is almost no need to keep him at the club beyond this term.

Madrid is Champions League royalty and arguably the best club in the world, but they must keep evolving to maintain that status.

With the likes of Modric, Benzema and Toni Kroos at the end stage of their career already, we expect the club to begin to plan for life without them.

Their replacements should be sorted sooner so they can spend some time together before these legends leave the club.