According to a recent report from Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid have decided to keep Dani Ceballos on their team for the upcoming season.
They believe that the former Real Betis midfielder will be very valuable to their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, especially since Toni Kroos has retired.
This decision is quite surprising because Ceballos played a secondary role last season.
Despite this, Real Madrid understand that they have a busy season ahead with seven different competitions to compete in. These include the League, Champions League, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup, Club World Cup, and Intercontinental Cup.
Given this packed schedule, they think Ceballos can be very helpful to Ancelotti.
Staying put
Interestingly enough, Real Madrid do not plan to transfer Ceballos unless they receive an exceptional offer for him.
There have been rumours about Real Betis being a potential destination for the midfielder, but Angel Haro, Betis’ president, has recently downplayed these rumours, saying,
“The probability of him returning to Betis is remote, to say the least. We understand that he renewed with Real Madrid to play there,” he said.
This suggests that there will likely be no major drama regarding Ceballos’s future this summer.
A season of failed promises
Almost a year ago, Ceballos extended his contract until 2027, with the promise that he would play a significant role in the team.
However, this promise has not been fulfilled. Despite Ancelotti’s personal efforts to convince Ceballos to stay, the midfielder only played a total of 862 minutes, spread over 27 games in all competitions.
Ancelotti had several personal conversations with Ceballos to persuade him to remain at the club, but the player has not seen much game time.
This limited playtime indicates that Ceballos’ role has not matched the importance he was promised when he renewed his contract.
Despite that, it appears that the European champions intend to keep hold of the Spanish midfielder.