Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have both underwhelmed for Real Madrid this year. Fact.

Benzema has been a steady, but not spectacular player for Los Blancos across the years.

However, he has suffered a massive dip in form this year, having only scored five times in the league. That's the same amount that Casemiro - a defensive midfielder - has managed. Ouch.

Bale has also struggled.

The Welshman has been ravaged with injuries in recent years. Once seen as a successor to Cristiano Ronaldo at the club, Bale has had to make do with a place on the bench in recent months.

As a result, both players seem to have uncertain futures at Real Madrid.

ZIDANE DEFENDS THE TWO

Zinedine Zidane has defended both on numerous occasions this year, and he did so again before Real Madrid's game vs Athletico Bilbao on Wednesday.

"We're all on the same side and we need all our players,” Zidane said. "They don't come across as sad to me and they are training well, of course, both would like to score more goals, but they are working well.

"It always happens in a team where you have some players on good form and that is what happening at the minute. We've got very good players and I have to evaluate that."

REAL MADRID MAKE A DECISION

But with Real Madrid ready to spend big this summer, it seems both Bale's and Benzema's futures may lay elsewhere.

And according to Guillem Balague, they have made a decision.

Writing on his live blog for Sky Sports on Friday, Balague claimed how Real Madrid have made the decision to keep Benzema, and get rid of Bale, despite the Welshman wanting to stay.

"Let’s see what happens with Karim Benzema," he wrote. "They will try and keep him and sell Bale, although he doesn’t want to go."

And Balague commented that Real Madrid are ready to offer a 'big sum' for Robert Lewandowski, who remains keen on making the move to Spain.

"Robert Lewandowski wants to come to Real Madrid, we’ve been saying that on Revista de La Liga for months now," he added.

"More and more details are coming out since he changed his agent. Now we are hearing through German media that he’s told his team-mates he wants to go to Real Madrid, all part of the same strategy to get out of Bayern Munich.

"They insist Lewandowski will not be leaving but Real Madrid are prepared to pay a big sum for him. So let’s see if Bayern sell, after all, they are not obliged as Lewandowski has no buy-out clause."

There we have it.

Despite Benzema only scoring nine times in all competitions this season, it is believed he will stay at the club.

Bale, on the other hand, looks set to leave. Despite his problems in recent years, it will likely take a big offer to take him away from Los Blancos, with Manchester United rumoured to be long term admirers.