Five Players Real Madrid Need to Sell This Summer

After failing to win a major trophy in back-to-back seasons, Real Madrid are poised to bring in some new faces this summer that will push several mainstays out the door.

It’s no secret Los Blancos are in desperate need of defensive and midfield reinforcements after two turbulent seasons. The club could also make a push for an additional force on the right wing to help alleviate the goalscoring burden on Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé’s shoulders.

New signings mean some tough exits are coming this summer. Not only does the team need to free up space in the dressing room, but it also must bring in some cash to help bankroll what are expected to be blockbuster moves ahead of the 2026–27 season.

The good news for Real Madrid—and the bad news for a handful of players in white—is that there is no shortage of names that could be forced out of the Bernabéu in the next few months.

Fran García

Three left backs in the dressing room are simply too many. For all his injury woes, Ferland Mendy is the most defensively sound option at the Bernabéu, and has the full trust of his teammates and the manager. Álvaro Carreras, meanwhile, cost $58.8 million (€50 million) last summer and is not going anywhere anytime soon despite his fall off over the last two months.

That leaves Fran García as the odd man out. The Spaniard, who is under contract until June 2027, is third in the pecking order when all three fullbacks are healthy—a place he doesn’t necessarily deserve, considering the strong appearances he mounted this season.

Any mid-table club in Europe looking for a reliable, attack-minded left back would love to have García in its squad. In fact, Bournemouth reportedly tried to sign the 26-year-old on loan this winter, but Real Madrid rejected the deal at the last minute.

This summer, Los Blancos should right that wrong and allow García to join a team where he can play consistently, especially if the price is right.

Raúl Asencio

Last season, Raúl Asencio looked like the next big Castilla product poised for a long-term future at Real Madrid. The center back played nearly every game due to the team’s defensive injury crisis and earned the fanbase’s approval with the physical edge he brought to the team’s backline.

Yet his time in the XI was short-lived. The arrival of Dean Huijsen, combined with Éder Militão’s recovery and Antonio Rüdiger’s resurgence, left little room for Asencio to even log minutes off the bench. It didn’t help matters that he suffered several injuries of his own, as well as had a reported falling out with Álvaro Arbeloa.

Now with Real Madrid set to sign another center back this summer and potentially renew Rüdiger’s contract, Asencio’s once bright future at the Bernabéu looks quite bleak. His contract, which stretches until 2031, also looks like a rather rash decision from the club, considering the 23-year-old will not realistically start—or even be the first backup option available—next season.

Los Blancos should avoid another David Alaba-type situation and part ways with the defender while there is still interest from other clubs as opposed to keeping him around and ultimately losing money.

Dani Ceballos

Dani Ceballos should have been sold last summer. The proceedings were in place for the midfielder to transfer to Marseille or return to Real Betis, but neither move materialized, leaving Real Madrid with the 29-year-old for yet another season.

On a team desperate for midfield depth, Ceballos was rarely even a second option for Real Madrid in 2025–26. And when given select opportunities, the Spaniard typically found himself ineffective or worse, at the scene of the crime, like when he coughed up possession in the dying moments against Osasuna and doomed Los Blancos to a 2–1 defeat that sent their La Liga campaign into a tailspin.

With the club hitting the transfer market this summer to bring in at least one new face in the midfield, there is no longer any room for Ceballos at the Bernabéu. He brings little to the pitch, and any fans that entered the season still in his corner have surely turned on him by now.

Real Madrid need to finally offload him before they are stuck paying his wages for another season while he sits on the bench until his contract expires in June 2027.

Gonzalo García

Gonzalo García came into the season off the back of a sensational Club World Cup campaign that irrefutably deemed him Mbappé’s backup. His emergence kept Endrick on the bench and eventually led the Brazilian to join Lyon on loan in the winter.

Except Gonzalo was never truly given the opportunities to live up to the hype. Even when Mbappé was injured, the striker spent most of his time on the bench, limited to cameo appearances. There were times when Real Madrid were desperate for a goal, and yet the Spaniard would only come on the pitch with 10 minutes left in a game.

Gonzalo’s standout summer and bright moments in 2025–26 proved his raw goalscoring ability, though, and caught the eye of multiple clubs throughout Europe. The mounting interest gives Real Madrid the perfect opportunity to sell the No. 9 for a nice profit while also inserting a buy-back clause in his contract.

It’s a no-brainer for Los Blancos, who will welcome Endrick back after a largely successful loan stint this summer, with plans on making the teenager Mbappé’s backup.

Eduardo Camavinga

Eduardo Camavinga was already at the center of transfer speculation after reports emerged the Frenchman was unhappy with his limited minutes at Real Madrid. He was linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United as the season reached its climax.

The noise only got louder after a string of poor performances. Camavinga came under fire for his lackadaisical defending in La Liga that cost Real Madrid points against Mallorca and Girona, all but ending their push for the Spanish crown. Then, he was sent off in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, leaving his team with virtually no chance of survival in their favorite competition.

Camavinga is by no means the only player having a rough month, but he is one of the only ones that are expendable. Despite his defensive prowess and versatility, he does not have a secure spot in the XI and his minutes will only decrease after Real Madrid likely sign a deep-lying playmaker this summer.

Still only 23 years old, Camavinga’s ceiling is incredibly high and he would be a great fit for a European giant in need of a player with his skillset. The price Los Blancos could fetch for him is simply too good to ignore, especially for someone that has no chance of starting in 2026–27.

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