Xabi Alonso could face a new problem ahead of the start of the season with the departure of Dani Ceballos. Real Madrid has had a significant problem with midfielders throughout last season, a problem that is growing following the departure of Luka Modric. If the Utrera-born player’s departure is confirmed, the club will be left without a player in this position.
Ceballos and his departure from Real Madrid
Dani Ceballos has been close to leaving Real Madrid in recent seasons due to a lack of playing time. However, last year, he was one of Carlo Ancelotti’s solutions to the problems in midfield, and the Whites’ best games of the season came with the Andalusian controlling the center of the park.
However, it seems that he is not in Xabi Alonso‘s plans, as evidenced by the Club World Cup, where he barely played. The Tolosa-born coach used Luka Modric, who is already a club legend, more, and it seems that he prefers other alternatives to build a midfield that needs experienced players if the team wants to go far in the coming seasons.
Betis wants to sign the player, but the Whites are not willing to let him go for free. There is talk that the Seville-based team has made an offer of €5 million, but the Whites are asking for €15 million.
The player himself posted a message on Monday afternoon, which he later deleted, saying, “Nothing leaves the conscience clearer than ‘I tried everything.’” Many have interpreted this as an attempt at all costs to return to his former team, but for the moment, it cannot be.
A problem for Xabi Alonso
Whatever role Xabi Alonso wants to give Dani Ceballos in the team, the coach has a problem in midfield. It was already a problem last season: the departure of Kroos left a gap that was very difficult to fill, and the team suffered. And now, the departure of Luka Modric leaves an even bigger gap: although the Croatian was not a regular starter, he was one of the players most used by Ancelotti from the bench, and also by Xabi in the World Cup, because he was very good, perhaps too good not to have been renewed for another year, because maybe he was no longer physically 100% at 40 years of age, but magic lasts forever, and Luka had it.
In addition, Real Madrid starts the season without Bellingham, who is out until October after shoulder surgery. If Ceballos leaves, and given that Valverde, Güler, and Tchuoaméni are regulars, there would only be two men left to replace the Englishman, Brahim and Camavinga (unless he opts to play with three up front).
Urgent needs for the summer
Therefore, Xabi Alonso has a problem that Real Madrid will have to solve with their wallet. There is no choice but to sign players this summer if they do not want to be limited by a short squad in midfield. Injuries and the accumulation of matches force rotations, and now Real Madrid are short in midfield.
Ceballos could be the next to leave, an extra problem for Xabi Alonso in a team that is struggling in midfield. Betis wants to sign the player and complete its squad for next season, but the offer made to Real Madrid is very low. Negotiations are expected to resume in the coming days, and if they are successful, Real Madrid will have to find a replacement, at the very least, to avoid repeating past mistakes.