For a club that has reached the Champions League semi-finals in each of the last three years, this promises to be a summer of upheaval at the Bernabéu.
We all know that Jose Mourinho is heading back to the Premier League and Chelsea, and today Madrid general manager Jose Angel Sanchez told L’Equipe that Gonzalo Higuain will leave Real Madrid also this summer.
The 25-year-old Higuain has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Madrid line-up, with Mourinho switching back in forth between himself and Karim Benzema for the lone striker’s role. So while Higuan’s season has been moderately successful, with 14 goals, he wants more regular playing time.
L’Equipe adds that Higuain’s exit will mean that Benzema will stay with Real.
“In a great club like Real, we believe we need two number nines of a high level,” Sanchez said.
“We have Benzema and Higuain. Higuain will leave, Benzema will stay and two others will come.”
The big question is who will be the two forwards that Sanchez signs this summer? Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez has been mentioned in the past as being targeted by the Spanish side, but the two biggest names linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer are Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.
As for Higuain, the most likely destination for him is Juventus who have been after a top striker for 18 months now, and who had most of their executive team in Madrid on Tuesday to watch the game against Dortmund.