Real Madrid stars left homeless in limbo

Real Madrid had to make some tough decisions this summer, and that included letting go of captain Marcelo and Isco, whose contracts both expired at the end of June. The two players have a long history of success with Los Blancos, but are now left in limbo as they struggle to find new employers ahead of the coming season.

The 2022/23 La Liga season kicks off in just nine days, but the two veterans are still effectively "homeless" in a football sense. They have been free to openly negotiate with other clubs, but despite being available on free transfers, both players are still highly valued in terms of their salaries.

It is perhaps currently kind of a curse that both Marcelo and Isco were part of a highly successful Real Madrid side that recently won both La Liga and the Champions League. This creates an odd situation where they may be out of contract and a bit older, but they still command fairly high wages.

According to Marca, Isco was linked with Sevilla under former Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui, but those rumours have since fizzled out. The player was also offered to another Andalusian side, Real Betis, but there has been no response until now. Super agent Jorge Mendes is determined to find his client a club that appreciates the versatile player's value, but he has not been able to come up with a solid lead.

Meanwhile, Serie A side Roma remains an option, but the club is unwilling to give in to his salary demands of about 10 million euros a year. Isco's value may have dropped significantly over the years, but at just 30 years old, he is not willing to budge on his wages especially considering that his new club will not be paying a transfer fee.

Furthermore, the Spaniard wants to continue playing in Europe, which further limits his options.

Former Real Madrid captain Marcelo is a little bit older at 34, but he has made it clear that he is still planning to play in the most challenging competitions. He is the club's most decorated player in history, with 25 titles to his name in a career that spanned 15 years.

As such, despite his advanced age, he still commands a salary that very few clubs can afford, although his current demands have not been disclosed publicly.

French side Lyon was linked with the Brazilian, but that rumour has also died down. There is a chance that he may join Real Madrid legend Ronaldo Nazario's club, Real Valladolid, but there have been no solid updates on that report either. Marcelo was also linked with Serie A champions AC Milan, as well as the final option of returning to childhood club Fluminense, which may appear to be more of a path towards retirement.

The clock is ticking for both players, and it remains to be seen if they will be able to find new clubs before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.