Selling Marcelo this summer is simply not an option for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will have to make difficult decisions this summer in order to stay in good financial health, and they still have their eyes on top players like Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga as summer signings in 2021.
They have already sold Achraf Hakimi to Inter Milan for 40 million euros, and another young fullback who had a big year on loan, Sergio Reguilon, could be next. The Premier League is calling, and Reguilon could fetch more than 20 million euros with a buy-back clause included.
Many fans understandably don’t want to see Reguilon sold. He is a 23-year-old left back who has helped Sevilla reached the Europa League Final and qualify for the Champions League. Reguilon could have a great future in Madrid.
So those same fans are suggesting Real Madrid sell Marcelo instead, since Marcelo is 32 years old and no longer the starter following Ferland Mendy’s emergence in 2019-2020.
I understand the sentiment behind this suggestion, but, quite frankly, selling Marcelo is a terrible idea. It just doesn’t make any sense.
If Reguilon’s issue is that he wants to play, selling Marcelo doesn’t actually lead to more playing time for him. He’ll still be the second-choice to Mendy, since Mendy is the better player and fills a crucial need as an elite defensive fullback.
Secondly, selling Marcelo doesn’t help solve Real Madrid’s primary problem. Los Blancos could easily loan Reguilon to Sevilla for another year, but they are open to selling him because they need the money. If selling Reguilon would net them, say, 25 million euros, how much do you think selling Marcelo would earn Real? 10 million?
So basically Real Madrid would be selling a club legend who is still an effective fullback – look at what he did to Barcelona, for example – for almost nothing. They wouldn’t be helping their own financial situation, but they would be taking away a veteran player who is so vital for squad morale and the young players.
Marcelo is a big-game player. In the Champions League, he had three assists in fewer than 300 minutes, completing over 85 percent of his passes with two key passes per game, according to WhoScored.com. On a team that struggled for goals and clear-cut chance-creation, Marcelo is a true spark and is, yes, still more effective than Reguilon as a playmaker in the short-term.
Real Madrid can buy Reguilon back. Selling Marcelo, on the other hand, would be a heartless decision that would signify “the end” for a club legend who still has a lot to give. It’s not a move that any team should be making, least of all a club like Real Madrid. As much as we love the young guard and want to progress the team, getting rid of Marcelo doesn’t even help there, given that he’s helping young players but not taking a spot from anyone.
Reguilon is a talented player, and while a goodbye would be tough, it wouldn’t have to be a permanent goodbye. But are you really prepared to say farewell to Marcelo? And for what benefit? A few million euros and a few hundred minutes for Reguilon? On no level does selling Marcelo make sense for Los Blancos.