Four Real Madird players that could leave in January due to lack of playtime

Despite the acquisitions of Kylian Mbappe and Endrick, Real Madrid’s summer is far from over.

The newly crowned European champions could face pressure to offload a few of their first-team stars, on account of these new acquisitions.

With a few more stars likely to join the club in the coming summer, there are multiple Real Madrid players who may end up leaving Santiago Bernabeu, if not this summer, then perhaps in mid-season.

Here, at Madrid Universal, we will take a look at four such players who may leave Real Madrid in January 2025.

Rodrygo

The arrival of Mbappe throws a big question mark over Rodrygo’s future at the Bernabeu. The Brazilian winger has been a key player for Real Madrid in recent seasons, but his playing time is likely to be significantly impacted by Mbappe’s presence.

If Rodrygo finds himself consistently benched, a loan move or even a permanent transfer could be on the cards.

The Brazilian, in fact, has been linked with a move to a series of top Premier League clubs in recent weeks, with Liverpool even tabling an offer worth €120 million.

Although Real Madrid have rejected Rodrygo’s advances, the club are open to the attacker’s sale if any suitor comes up with an offer of €150 million.

Even if Rodrygo ends up remaining at Santiago Bernabeu, it won’t come as a surprise to see the attacker having to settle for a move elsewhere in January.

Dani Ceballos

Dani Ceballos’ story at Real Madrid this season has been all about injuries and bench appearances.

Due to the explosion of young stars such as Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, Ceballos has found himself trailing in the pecking order.

Ceballos’ situation at Real Madrid has become more precarious even after Toni Kroos’ retirement, as the club are now reportedly considering the idea of accommodating Bellingham in a deeper midfield role.

Los Blancos are reportedly interested in keeping hold of the midfielder and there is still a chance the player could remain at the club this summer. But if he continues to struggle with game-time, a January exit could be on the cards.

Arda Guler

Arda Guler was one of Real Madrid’s biggest bets last summer, as the youngster arrived at Santiago Bernabeu with a lot of hype.

Although the Turk did not have the best of starts to the season, his rapid rise to prominence was one of Real Madrid’s biggest highlights during the final phase of the league campaign.

Guler notably ended the campaign with six goals in ten league appearances. However, the playmaker’s role at Real Madrid could be reduced once again, especially following the arrivals of Mbappe and Endrick.

If Real Madrid find Guler’s role minimised significantly during the first half of the campaign, they might consider a loan move for the Turkish international, who has been linked with a move to at least eight clubs across Europe.

Fran Garcia

Similar to Guler, young left-back Fran Garcia hasn’t seen much action with the first team. While a talented player, he currently finds himself behind Ferland Mendy in the pecking order.

Garcia has featured in 25 league matches this term, but only 15 of them have been starts. His role in the squad could dwindle further next season as Real Madrid weigh a move for Alphonso Davies.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti has indicated that he wants Davies only as an addition to Mendy in the left-back position.

Fran Garcia might stay at Real Madrid even if Davies joins the club. But his limited role in the team may eventually force him to settle for a loan or even a permanent move elsewhere. In the event of a permanent exit, though, Real Madrid are likely to retain a buyback clause.