5 players who won't be at Real Madrid in 2024

Real Madrid are in the thick of the La Liga title race, desperately hoping to be champions again after falling well short of eternal rivals Barcelona in the 2022/23 season. They were also humbled by Manchester City in the Champions League knockouts, showing that they have fallen levels behind the quality necessary to win club football's most prestigious competition

Although there is always talk of a "Revolution", Los Blancos have yet to truly transform their squad. They are getting there, but in order to bring in the final new pieces to the puzzle, a few players will have to leave.

Here are five players Madridistas can expect to wave goodbye to in 2024.

5. Dani Ceballos, CM

Dani Ceballos could have left in the summer 2023 transfer window after an excellent 2022/23 season that honestly went a bit underrated. It's hard to argue that, in a vacuum, he is a better player than Luka Modrić, because despite his lack of influence on the current squad, Modrić is such a legend that you can never count him out. But solely talking about performance, Ceballos has been the better player since the start of the last season.

Yet if Modrić feels like he is buried on the depth chart after Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham in the summer, then Ceballos should have an even bigger gripe. Things could change as the season continues and injuries potentially hit, but Ceballos has logged a meager 67 minutes in La Liga.

Ceballos is too good for that. He is one of the best midfielders in Spanish football and would be a La Liga Team of the Season candidate on a team like, say, Real Betis, where he would start every game. To top it all off, Ceballos is making good money -- more than most players who essentially never play do.

4. Luka Modrić, CM

It is time for Luka Modrić and Real Madrid to move on. While it would be too harsh to say that "Father Time" has caught up with him, the cycle has ended for the legendary Croatian. Modrić has accomplished something no other footballer has in history. He has remained relevant as a box-to-box midfielder at the elite level through the age of 38.

Modrić is still a good player, but he is no longer a great player. This season, he has made more appearances off the bench than starts. Though he isn't performing poorly by any means, he is no longer controlling games or even changing them. It is better to say goodbye while he is still somewhat effective.

3. Ferland Mendy, LB

Out of all the players on this list, Ferland Mendy is the only one Real Madrid are probably pushing to get rid of. The likes of Dani Ceballos and Andriy Lunin, for example, are candidates to leave because they are too good to never be used. Meanwhile, Mendy is a player Madrid have been actively trying to avoid utilizing because he's so limited on the ball.

Mendy helped Madrid in his first two seasons with the club, but that was largely because Marcelo declined so precipitously that virtually any competent defensive presence would be better than a proverbial sieve at left back.

However, Mendy has been exposed as a major weakness going forward. He is a good left back when summing up his progression and defensive qualities, but a Real Madrid starter cannot be as lacking as he is technically. Defenses do not sweat his crosses. Madrid require more chance-creation from their fullbacks.

2. Kepa Arrizabalaga, GK

On loan from Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga is coming off an excellent 2022/23 Premier League campaign, completing a comeback to being recognized as a top keeper again. He's been solid for Real Madrid as the emergency replacement for Thibaut Courtois, but Kepa has no long-term future in Madrid.

They aren't going to pay to try and coax a permanent transfer from Chelsea, because Kepa is nowhere near Courtois' level.

1. Andriy Lunin, GK

Real Madrid could actually lose two goalkeepers in the summer 2024 transfer window. Kepa is a given and may not really count as a loan player, but it is difficult to envision young standout Andriy Lunin sticking around in Madrid.

The club could not have convinced Kepa to join them as a backup, but it's hard not to wonder if Lunin is upset that Madrid didn't show more faith in him as a starter. Lunin was playing at least as well as Kepa, and while Kepa's experience shows in his positioning, Lunin can make reflex saves that Kepa simply cannot. He also has much more long-term upside.

Lunin could legitimately be one of the best keepers in European football. He decided to stay with Real Madrid to this point, but it's only a matter of time before the 24-year-old starts thinking about his career. It's better for him, personally, to spread his wings elsewhere.