Real Madrid: summer clear-out could bring in over 500m euros
A whole host of player sales are expected to help finance an anticipated end-of-season overhaul of the Real Madrid squad.
A busy summer of transfer business is in the offing at Real Madrid, as Los Blancos prepare an overhaul that will see players brought in, and also a fair few shipped out - not just to make way for the new signings, but also to help finance them.
With several big names potentially heading for the exit, Madrid could pocket around 470m euros from player sales, according to the valuations provided by Transfermarkt.com - a specialist website which offers a useful guide but, in the main, most likely underestimates how much the club would seek for its stars.
Indeed, the LaLiga giants could end up banking a figure over the 500m mark.
Varane, Kroos and James
Raphaël Varane, Toni Kroos and James Rodríguez are considered by Transfermarkt to be the departures that would be most financially beneficial to Madrid: they are each valued at 80m euros. However, as was revealed by AS this week, Los Merengues are reluctant to lose Varane, are planning to offer the defender a pay rise, and would not let him leave for less than 100m. On the other hand, they will have to settle for 42m for James if Bayern Munich opt to activate their purchase option on the Colombian, who is currently on loan in Bavaria.
Read also: "Varane's mulling things over - he's won everything at Madrid"
Bale and Isco
Gareth Bale and Isco are deemed by Transfermarkt to be worth 70m and 60m, respectively. However, Madrid can be expected to hold out for over 100m for Bale, while Isco would fetch a fee lower than the Welshman's, but higher than 60m.
Marcelo and Kovacic
Marcelo and Mateo Kovacic are both valued at 35m, but the Brazilian, who in the wake of Zinedine Zidane's return is believed to be minded to stay at Madrid, would in all likelihood cost double that figure. The Croat, who the club are unhappy with over the manner in which he agitated for his season-long loan switch to Chelsea, will probably be sold for more like 50m.
Mariano and Vallejo
Mariano Díaz, who is all but certain to depart, would come with a 20m-euro price tag, says Transfermarkt - an amount which appears to be the minimum Madrid would ask for. Jesús Vallejo's value, meanwhile, is put at 10m. The defender is set to leave, either on loan or on a permanent deal with a buy-back clause; the former option would not normally include any kind of fee.