Dani Ceballos decided to sign a contract extension with Real Madrid when he could have left as a free agent last summer, but he is realizing that minutes are too hard to come by at the Santiago Bernabeu after the signing of new LaLiga MVP Jude Bellingham.
Furthermore, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric both look more likely to stay than not, so Ceballos has no real path to playing time. If Real Madrid sign Leny Yoro, that means less matches for Aurelien Tchouameni in central defense and yet another path to the starting XI blocked off.
Atletico Madrid have been whispered as a team interested in Ceballos, and Relevo report that Los Rojiblancos are indeed one of the “most interested” clubs in the former Real Betis star.
In fact, it is legendary manager Diego Simeone who has an interest in bringing the silky 27-year-old Champions League winner on board to upgrade the midfield and provide energy and a different profile to the mix.
The thing is, Real Madrid reportedly, as expected, won’t make it easy for their crosstown rivals to sign Ceballos. Even though Ceballos isn’t in their plans, they saw how another former midfielder, Marcos Llorente, once left their club for the Metropolitano and then played a key role in Real’s downfall as a LaLiga champion in 2020/21 with Atleti.
Therefore, it will be easier for Dani Ceballos to join another club outside LaLiga. Ceballos spent some time with Arsenal on loan with mixed success before returning to Real Madrid, but he could be a star for a team that is less competitive.
Ceballos still dreams of being a regular player and a star at the club level so that he can be a star for the Spanish national team. Clearly, he has quality, as Simeone wouldn’t be pushing for him if he didn’t have something to offer.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.