Real Madrid tend to leave their planning for the coming season until slightly later in the year than most clubs, particularly when it comes to managers and veterans. The former depend on the titles they secure, the latter, restricted to one-year extensions, depend in no small part on the former.
While Los Blancos appear to be in the process of wrapping up a deal for Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, and have begun a pursuit of Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, their decisions on departures will likely take place in May or June, once their season has been defined by results. Ancelotti himself has a year left on his contract, but if he does not win either La Liga or the Champions League, there remains a strong chance that he is dismissed.
Should a new manager arrive in the summer, then there will be a number of players whose futures are cast into doubt. Sport say that the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Fede Valverde, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are cornerstones of the Real Madrid project, while there are others such as Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz, Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni are regarded as important pieces. Dani Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga and Andriy Lunin will in theory stay, while Endrick Felipe and Arda Guler are more likely to remain if Ancelotti goes in the end.
However there are several players that will need the approval of Ancelotti’s successor in order to continue at the club. The only player certain to leave is Jesus Vallejo at the end of his contract, but a new coach would have carte blanche to make a decision on the futures of Ferland Mendy, Fran Garcia, Lucas Vazquez, Luka Modric and David Alaba.
Perhaps the only surprise in that list is Alaba, who is on the way back from a serious knee injury, but when fit has been a starter for Ancelotti. It is set to be a hectic summer for Real Madrid, and if they go far in the Club World Cup, then their season will not finish until July, leaving little time for a new manager to come in or prepare.
