Real Madrid are reportedly demanding a transfer fee of around €12-15 million for Dani Ceballos, who is a target for former club Real Betis.
According to AS, Real Madrid want to recoup a transfer fee in the range of €12-15 million from the sale of midfielder Dani Ceballos, who is staring at an uncertain future at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Ceballos joined Real Madrid in 2017 from boyhood club Real Betis. However, he endured a difficult couple of years after his arrival, failing to cement a place in the side. The Spaniard was then loaned out to Arsenal for two subsequent campaigns but did not do enough to convince the Gunners to sign him permanently.
Back at Real Madrid last summer, Ceballos looked likely to leave before an injury at the Tokyo Olympics put paid to any hopes of an exit. Having stayed put, the midfielder made his comeback from injury in the second half of the season and featured in a handful of games under Carlo Ancelotti.
Ceballos’ future has been up in the air, though, especially with Real Madrid splashing huge money to sign Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco this summer. The Spanish midfielder now finds himself behind Luka Modric, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Tchouameni in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Given that this is a World Cup year, Ceballos is keen on playing regularly so that he can have a shot at making the Spain squad for the tournament in Qatar. However, chances of that happening at Real Madrid are slim, leading to speculations over his future. A move to former club Real Betis has been talked about for quite some time now, but there have been no concrete moves made yet.
Real Madrid, for their part, are open to selling Ceballos in exchange for a sum of €12-15 million. At the same time, manager Ancelotti is not averse to keeping the midfielder as part of his squad, with reports claiming that the La Liga champions are ready to hand him a two-year contract extension.
So, the ball is pretty much in Ceballos’ court at this point. The midfielder is set to speak with Ancelotti regarding his game-time and will study Real Madrid’s contract offer before deciding on his future. If he opts to leave, it will be interesting to see if any clubs are willing to meet his €12-15 million valuation.
