MADRID, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid ended their season with a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Club Bilbao, but although the campaign is over on the pitch, it looks like it will be a busy month in the club offices as work begins for the 2023-24 campaign.
Karim Benzema signed off from the Bernabeu with a goal from the penalty spot, which looked as if the referee had written part of the script for his emotional departure a minute later.
Benzema was replaced by Marco Asensio, who like the Frenchman had his departure confirmed prior to the game after turning down a new contract in favor of a probable move to Paris Saint Germain.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti then substituted Asensio in injury time, so he too could enjoy the applause of the fans in the Bernabeu, although there was no last hurrah for either Eden Hazard or Mariano Diaz, both of whom are also leaving the club, with Madrid making a big payment to Hazard to terminate the last year of his contract.
The coming days are also likely to be busy at the Santiago Bernabeu, with several other players out of contract at the end of June: Central defender Nacho Fernandez and midfielders Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Dani Ceballos, will all become free agents in less than a month and not all of them are expected to stay.
Nacho has an offer from Italy, while Ceballos looks increasingly likely to move, with doubts over his temperament. He could have an offer to return to Betis, while Modric and Kroos have been vital to Madrid for the past 10 years and the talk has been of them signing one-year deals.
However, the ease with which Manchester City bypassed the pair (who have a combined age of 70) in the Champions League semifinal, showed they can no longer be the heart of the Real Madrid engine room and their continuity is by no means certain.
Reserve keeper Andriy Lunin is also expected to be on his way after failing to convince when he has had to stand in for Thibaut Courtois, while left back Ferland Mendy's injuries mean the club would certainly listen to offers (and Mendy is the only specialist left back in the squad).
That all leaves a lot of holes to plug in the Real Madrid squad ahead of next season, with the club needing to sign at least two strikers, a left back, a right back to cover for the aging Dani Carvajal and one, or perhaps two midfielders.
Attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz looks likely to be back from loan at AC Milan, while left back Fran Garcia will probably return after a successful spell with Rayo Vallecano and if the papers are to believed, England international midfielder Jude Bellingham will be a big-money signing from Borussia Dortmund.
England striker Harry Kane has also started to appear in the rumor sectors of the press, but Kane won't come cheap and the thought of negotiating with Daniel Levy again is probably enough to send cold shivers down the spine of Madrid President Florentino Perez, who looks set for one of his busiest summers ever. ■
