Struggling Real Madrid has blocked one of its first team players, who has at least two potential suitors, from leaving the club in the upcoming January transfer window according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Dani Ceballos joined Los Blancos in 2017, and, with a loan spell at Arsenal wedged between, renewed his contract until 2027 when it was approaching expiry in summer last year.
This warded off several clubs interested in signing the 28-year-old for free. But the arrival of Jude Bellingham in mid-2023 from Borussia Dortmund resulted in the Andalusian having even less prominence than before.
This term, Ceballos has managed just 110 minutes spread across six appearances – one as a starter and five as a substitute – and there are reportedly at least two outfits willing to give him more playing time.
These are namely his boyhood club Real Betis and Real Sociedad. Yet according to SPORT, Madrid will block any potential exit and doesn’t even want to listen to proposals that come its way regarding the former Premier League star.
Though used sparingly by the Italian, Ceballos is considered a useful resource for head coach Carlo Ancelotti who offers something different to most of his midfielders – especially in terms of physicality.
Ancelotti is struggling to find the right balance in his side which hasn’t managed to compensate for the loss of Toni Kroos after the German announced his shock retirement leading up to a 15th Champions League win at Wembley achieved against his compatriots Borussia Dortmund.
Any January reinforcements greenlit by President Florentino Perez are likely to be made in defence where Ancelotti needs another center back and perhaps a right back with Dani Carvajal out injured for the rest of the season.
It wouldn’t make sense to further deplete midfield, where Aurelien Tchouameni is struggling with injuries and Ancelotti can’t currently get the best out of Bellingham and Fede Valverde because of the ripple effect that Kylian Mbappe’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain has caused.
Notching his 153rd appearance during the 3-1 UCL loss to AC Milan on Tuesday, Ceballos might be rewarded playing time at home to Osasuna in La Liga this weekend.
