Real Madrid star free to leave this summer

For once, there has been no rumor. No report. No “case.” Nothing of the sort. Each time the schedule paired Real Madrid with Real Betis, the same storyline would resurface – linking Dani Ceballos with a potential return. Maybe in the summer window, maybe in the winter… but now, with six games left in the La Liga season, the loop has finally stopped. No rumors. No news.

The midfielder from Utrera had once been tipped to become a leader in Madrid’s midfield. It was the spring of 2017 when the club took notice of his performances at Betis and with Spain’s youth teams, where he dictated play with ease. Zinedine Zidane, then in charge, saw him as a possible backup to Luka Modrić when the Croatian needed rest.

Fresh off winning their 12th Champions League title, Madrid were also looking to add more Spanish players to the squad. In a swift move, they beat both Atlético Madrid – who had tracked him since 2016 – and Barcelona, whose interest was more about inflating the price than strengthening their squad.In the end, Madrid paid $17.8 million (€16.5m) plus tax in a single payment, as requested by the Andalusian club.

But his career in Madrid has not unfolded as expected. That same season ended with Zidane stepping down, despite another Champions League triumph – the third in a row. After two seasons and 56 appearances across all competitions, without ever securing a starting role, he was loaned to Arsenal in search of minutes and prominence. At Madrid, the presence of Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić and Casemiro made it nearly impossible to break through. He played 77 games for the Premier League side, but still failed to establish himself.

He returned to Madrid and joined Spain’s Olympic squad for the Tokyo Games, where everything took a dramatic turn. In the opening match, a challenge from an Egyptian player initially appeared to cause a simple ankle sprain. In reality, it was a complete rupture of the anterior talofibular and calcaneofibular ligaments – sidelining him for more than five months. A major setback in his pursuit of a place in midfield. That season, Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League, but he featured in just 18 games.

The following campaign (2022–23) followed a similar pattern, though he did have a standout moment in Villarreal during a Copa del Rey tie. With Madrid trailing 2–0, Carlo Ancelotti turned to him and Marco Asensio in search of a comeback – and both delivered. But since then, his appearances have been sporadic, inconsistent, and disrupted by injuries, which have weighed heavily on his trajectory at the club.

Even so, his name has consistently been linked with Betis, the club he left to join Madrid. But the loop has now come to an end. Both the player and the club are aligned: he will leave this summer, despite having one year remaining on his contract. He has played just 16% of the team’s minutes this season – a telling figure.

Betis, once a recurring destination, is no longer an option. Madrid are still asking for a fee in the region of $16.2 million (€15m), but the Seville-based club are not keen on bringing him back. A new path, however, has opened. As previously reported by AS, Ajax have shown interest, driven by their new sporting director Jordi Cruyff, who sees him as a player capable of blending seamlessly into a young squad with his experience from La Liga and the Premier League.

He came close to leaving last summer. Olympique de Marseille had made significant progress, reaching an agreement with Madrid on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for $11.9 million (€11m) plus a further $4.3 million (€4m) in add-ons. Madrid were ready to accept, despite initially asking for $16.2 million. But it was the player who halted the move, opting to stay – a decision that did not sit well with the club.

Now, with time to plan ahead, both sides have reached the same conclusion: his chapter at Real Madrid is over. There will be no more loops for Ceballos.

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