Real Madrid preparing for a 12-man summer clearout

If reports in Spain are to be believed, Spanish giants Real Madrid are plotting to axe as many as 12 players this summer in order to cut their squad down. 

La Liga clubs will be limited to having just 25 senior stars in their squad list for next season.

However, Zinedine Zidane currently has 37 players in his first team with 12 of them currently out on loan. The French manager is aware that he must get rid of some of players when the transfer window reopens.

Both Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez are certainly among those to be let go. The star duo are both on high wages and neither of them has been able to convince Zidane during his spells in charge of the clubs. 

Bale saw a move to Chinese side Jiangsu Suning fall through last summer, with Real Madrid pulling the plug on the deal at the last minute. 

Los Blancos are keen to get his £13.4million-a-year salary off the wage bill but have found to find such a club who would match that for such an injury-prone player. 

The Welshman has been sensationally linked alongside international team-mate Aaron Ramsey with a move to Everton, where he would be reunited with Carlo Ancelotti. 

James Rodriguez, meanwhile, has also been tipped for a move to the Premier League. 

The Colombian superstar has already spurred a three-way battle among Premier League trio Arsenal, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

Rodriguez has just one year left on his current contract and it is pretty clear that he will not be signing an extension. Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez's deals also run out in 2021, putting them at the risk of being forced out as well.

Dani Ceballos, who is out on loan at Arsenal, looks unlikely to force his way back into the fold at the Bernabeu as well and could be sold permanently. 

Rather than making the switch to the Emirates permanent, the playmaker is said to be preferring a switch to Real Betis, where he came through the youth ranks.

Other Real Madrid players who are also likely to face the chop are Luka Jovic, Jesus Vallejo, Achraf Hakimi, Mariano Diaz, Sergio Reguilon, Martin Odegaard and Borja Mayoral.

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