AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly set his sights on Dani Ceballos and is targeting a January move for the Real Madrid midfielder.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Dani Ceballos is the subject of interest from AS Roma over a move in the January transfer window. The interest comes straight from former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who is keen on bolstering his midfield unit this winter.
Dani Ceballos joined Real Madrid from Real Betis in the summer of 2017, heralded as a potential long-term successor to Luka Modric. However, the Spaniard was used sparingly by Zinedine Zidane in particular, with the Frenchman not really fancying him all that much.
So, after making 56 appearances in his first two seasons with Los Blancos, the 25-year-old was sent out on loan to Arsenal, twice on season-long spells. Ceballos endured a mixed bag of a stint with the Gunners but still managed to be a key figure in his two years with Arsenal.
Now back at Real Madrid, Ceballos does not seem to have much of a future at the Santiago Bernabeu. In fact, a summer exit would have seen the light of the day, had he not sustained an ankle injury while on Spain duty at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The player, though, has no shortage of suitors, with AS Roma now keen on the Real Madrid midfielder.
The Giallorossi made a strong start to life under Jose Mourinho only for their campaign to start going pear-shaped in the last couple of weeks or so. While Roma are still inside the top four in Serie A, they have now failed to win each of their last three games across all competitions, with the shock result coming in the form of a 6-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Jose Mourinho is, as a result, keen on bolstering his squad in the January transfer window, with midfield emerging as a priority for the former Real Madrid manager. The eagerness to sign a midfielder is further exacerbated by the fact that Gonzalo Villar is facing an uncertain future at Stadio Olimpico amid links with Everton.
To that end, Ceballos is a viable target for Roma, who have also been linked with another La Liga-based midfielder in Riqui Puig of late. However, the Serie A giants are not alone in pursuit of the Real Madrid midfielder, who has a number of suitors lining up after him.
In particular, boyhood club Real Betis are keen on re-signing Ceballos, with Real Madrid warming up to the idea of sending him back to Estadio Benito Villamarin as well. What now remains to be seen is if Roma can swoop in late to secure the services of the 25-year-old or if he ends up joining
