What’s the story?
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to announce the signing of €15 million Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos. The youngster has been extremely impressive for Betis in this season and now reports in the Hard Tackle (via Spanish paper Don Balon) claim that a deal is all but done and the signing will be announced imminently. The 20-year-old has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu and the silky Spanish midfielder will definitely provide Zidane with an alternative for the All Whites’ impressive midfield.
With James Rodriguez and Mateo Kovacic linked with a move away, Dano Ceballos has been earmarked to play a vital role under Zidane for the 2017/18 season.
In case you didn’t know...
The 20-year-old Spanish midfielder was released by Sevilla in 2009 for having Bronchitis. However, the talented player worked his way up the youth ranks of Betis and had his best season in 2015/16.
This is not the first time, Madrid have registered an interest in Ceballos. In fact, a deal was almost agreed 2 years back, but somehow it did not go through. With Modric now on the wrong side of 30, Ceballos is seen as the ideal long-term replacement for the Croatian wizard.
Also read: Real Madrid interested in signing £65m Bayern Munich superstar
The heart of the matter
Real Madrid are expected to be extremely busy in the summer transfer market. While Los Blancos have traditionally been linked with making huge ‘galactico’s signings, Zidane has shown that he is not afraid to back the youth up with deals reportedly sealed for Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos.
Also, Ceballos has shown that he is more than capable of playing at the top level. Still only 20, the Spaniard is blessed with excellent vision, passing skills and positioning. Under the guidance of Zidane, Ceballos might well grow to become one of the best midfielders in the world.
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Author’s take
Luka Modric is one of the greatest midfielders in world football at the moment. However, one cannot discount the fact that he is well over 30. With Kovacic and James Rodriguez linked with a move away from the Bernabeu, Ceballos for just €15 million could prove to be an excellent signing for the future.
Also read: Arsenal and Tottenham favourites to sign Real Madrid midfielder
