Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal are all reportedly in the race to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, who is surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu.
As per a report from Spanish publication MARCA, Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos is a wanted commodity in the Premier League, with as many as three of the ‘Big Six’ English clubs eyeing a summer move for the Spaniard. Champions League winners Liverpool, runners-up Tottenham Hotspur and Europa League runners-up Arsenal are all interested in signing the midfielder.
Ceballos, 22, joined Real Madrid from Real Betis in the summer of 2017 but hasn’t been able to carve out a regular place in the starting lineup at the Santiago Bernabeu. In his two seasons at the club, the Spaniard has started just 17 La Liga matches.
Ceballos does not feature heavily in manager Zinedine Zidane’s plans moving forward and with Real Madrid eyeing a move for Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba, they are looking to offload the former Real Betis starlet in order to make room for the Frenchman.
The 22-year-old’s availability has piqued the interest of Tottenham, who have been long-term admirers of the player. With uncertainties surrounding the future of star man Christian Eriksen, the Lilywhites would be eyeing a replacement, but having already splashed the cash on Tanguy Ndombele, it remains to be seen if Daniel Levy would sanction a move for another midfielder.
Tottenham aren’t alone in their pursuit of Ceballos, with arch-rivals Arsenal also believed to be in the mix. The Gunners lost long-term servant Aaron Ramsey to Juventus this summer on a free transfer after his contract ran out. And manager Unai Emery is in the market for a replacement for the Welshman, with Ceballos emerging on the club’s radar.
As per the report from MARCA, Liverpool have now joined Tottenham and Arsenal in the race to sign the 22-year-old. The Reds had a stellar 2018-19 campaign during which they lifted the Champions League and finished second in the Premier League but are looking to improve the squad further as they look to knock Manchester City off their perch.
Liverpool boast an arsenal of options in midfield with captain Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana along with veteran James Milner as well as Fabinho. However, with Milner not getting any younger and Lallana likely to be offloaded, it could open up a room for a new midfielder, which Ceballos could fill.
The report adds that Real Madrid want to insert a buyback clause into any agreement regarding Ceballos’ sale. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are believed to be opposed to that idea, whereas Tottenham would be open to such an arrangement, which could give them an edge in the pursuit of the Spaniard.
From a sporting perspective, a move to Tottenham makes sense for Ceballos, given that he is likely to be more involved than he would be at Liverpool, while he would also get access to Champions League football, which will not be the case at Arsenal.
As things stand, Ceballos seems to be headed for the exit doors at Santiago Bernabeu this summer. But, it remains to be seen if any of Tottenham, Arsenal or Liverpool launch a move to sign the Real Madrid midfielder.