Real Madrid initiate renewal plan

Real Madrid are still alive in all competitions but are already working on the future. The latest results, with defeats against Valencia and especially Arsenal, have left the club worried, and they are already starting to think about a major renewal of the squad.

The Spanish newspaper 'AS' gives two key names to leave this summer, both of whom finish their contracts on 30 June. They are Luka Modric, perhaps the most clear-sighted player to set up the attack, but already 40 years old, and Lucas Vázquez, whose defensive seams have been seen on more than one occasion this season.

The most clear-cut exit seems to be at full-back. Real Madrid have agreed the arrival of Trent Alexander-Arnold for free, as his contract with Liverpool is coming to an end, and the Englishman will partner Dani Carvajal on the right, meaning that Lucas Vazquez will be left without a place in the rotation.

Modric, meanwhile, has been losing relevance over the years. With 40 in his squad, he is still important in Ancelotti's schemes, but his physical condition, in a schedule as demanding as the current one, is not as good as it used to be.

The third man given by “AS” as a departure this summer is David Alaba. The difference between the Austrian and Modric and Lucas Vazquez is that the centre-back's contract does not expire on 30 June, but runs until 2026.

His fitness after returning from a cruciate cruciate injury is of concern at Real Madrid. In the games against Valencia and Arsenal, he has been lacking in running, which has increased the doubts about his short-term future at the Santiago Bernabeu.