Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos has reportedly decided to leave the club in favour of a return to Real Betis in search of regular game-time.
According to SPORT, Dani Ceballos has decided to leave Real Madrid in the upcoming summer transfer window as he wishes to return to his boyhood club Real Betis to play regularly.
The 25-year-old signed for Real Madrid from Betis in the summer of 2017. Arriving with the tag of one of the most promising young midfielders in Spain, Ceballos never really got a regular run in the starting XI at the Santiago Bernabeu. And after being sparingly used in his first two seasons at the club, the midfielder joined Arsenal on loan and spent two years at the Emirates.
Back at Real Madrid last summer, Ceballos was linked with a permanent departure from the club. But an injury while on international duty during the Tokyo Olympic Games put paid to any hopes of an exit. Having stayed put, the Spaniard returned to action in the early parts of 2022 and while he did not play regularly enough, Ceballos made a solid impression when given a chance.
It led to Real Madrid considering the possibility of extending his contract, which expires in 2023. However, as per the report, Ceballos does not wish to sign a new deal with the club as he would be starved of game-time if he stays put at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.
Indeed, Ceballos is already behind Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro in the pecking order, competing with Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga for game-time. Furthermore, Real Madrid are now poised to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco in a deal worth €100 million.
With the Frenchman’s impending arrival, Ceballos’s game-time will take a further hit. The midfielder, though, wishes to be a part of the Spain squad for the FIFA World Cup later this year and understands that he needs to play regularly to stay in contention for the showpiece event in Qatar.
As a result, Ceballos is now intent on returning to Real Betis in the summer, with Los Verdiblancos’ director recently admitting as much. A move will be difficult to push through, however, as Betis are not in a great position financially and Real Madrid are unwilling to let the midfielder leave on the cheap.
So, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are hoping to offload a few players like Alex Moreno and William Carvalho, which should help them generate funds to sign Ceballos in the summer.
