Revealed: Odegaard, Isco among SIX more players that Ancelotti wants to sell

Robin Bairner

• 4 Aug 2021 08:19 BST
• 3 min read

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that his squad of players this season is too big and wants to sell around six players to trim the numbers down.

Ancelotti is targeting a group of around 21 or 22, which will be supplemented by Real Madrid B players Miguel Gutierrez, Blanco and Chusrt.

Regardless of whether Kylian Mbappe arrives from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, the coach is set to offload numerous players, largely in the attacking sector of the field.

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AS reports that as many as six players could depart.

This spells good news for Arsenal, who have been hot on the trail of Norway international playmaker Martin Odegaard since the competition of a successful loan spell at the end of the season.

But the Gunners are not just interested in Odegaard. There have also been reports that they could reignite an interest in Isco, who is another one of the players that Ancelotti is ready to offload. However, it is Milan who are most interested in the Spaniard.

While Madrid are willing to offload Isco for a minimal fee, the difficulty will be in finding a buyer willing to match the player’s Real Madrid wages.

Further forward, wingers Rodrygo and Takefusa Kubo find themselves in the firing line. Kubo has been in formidable form at the Olympics, though his Japan side were edged into the bronze medal match on Monday as they suffered a 1-0 loss to Spain. He arrived on a free transfer, so any fee would be considered a bonus.

Kubo, however, could be saved if Rodrygo is registered with the Castilla squad initially. Real Madrid are only allowed to register three non-EU players, but they have four in the form of Vinicius Jr and Eder Militao. However, Vinicius is expected to gain a Spanish passport in a matter of months, freeing up one of those precious slots.

Both Kubo and Rodrygo are players the board appreciate.

Meanwhile, in attack Real Madrid are eager to wash their hands of Mariano Diaz, who rarely features, and Luka Jovic, whose signing from Eintracht Frankfurt on a five-year deal in 2019 has been a disaster.

The case of Jovic, though, is complicated. Not only will Real Madrid need to sell him for at least €36 million to break even on their accounts – they bought him for €60m – but they also have to find a buyer willing to match the player’s €5m per year wages.

Ancelotti, then, is unlikely to offload his entire wishlist, though this may on strengthen Arsenal’s case to sign Odegaard as Real Madrid seek to raise precious money and reduce their wage bill.