Dani Ceballos is celebrating. The Real Madrid midfielder celebrates his 29th birthday on Thursday, August 7. These are candles he will not forget, because they may be the last ones he blows out as a Merengue footballer. In recent weeks, the Utrera-born player has been constantly in the news in the Madrid sphere. With a contract until 2027, Valdebebas does not want to sell him. But in the Andalusian’s mind, everything is in doubt. Doubts that arose during the Club World Cup. 70 minutes in four games, and that’s it. He had praised Xabi Alonso, but the Tolosa native did not count on him. This reignited those uncertainties in him.
Ceballos and his love for Betis
And when Dani Ceballos is in doubt, Betis comes into play. “It’s my home, and it always will be,” he said. The Utrera native dreams of returning to Seville. It already happened in 2023. Before renewing with Real Madrid, Ceballos was pointing to a return to the Benito Villamarín. However, it never happened, and he extended his stay at Chamartín. “Where some only see difficulties, others look for opportunities. Where some give up, others never stop fighting for their dreams. Excited and happy to continue for four more years at the best club in the world. The dream continues,” wrote the midfielder.
⚪️ Where some only see difficulties, others look for opportunities
💪Where some give up, others never stop fighting for their dreams
🙌🏻 Excited and happy to continue for four more years at the best club in the world
⭐️ The dream continues#HalaMadrid @RealMadrid #Ceballos2027 pic.twitter.com/oOdyAcacI3
— Daniel Ceballos (@DaniCeballos46) June 23, 2023
Last year, the same. Although with less insistence. Betis has always been on his radar, and this summer, it seems to be back on the radar. With what happened in the Club World Cup, Ceballos has not stopped thinking about that possibility. He did not ask to leave the club because he was waiting for Betis to make a move for him. The midfielder is willing to take a pay cut to return to his “home.” However, Real Madrid are asking for around €15 million for him. This is a figure that the Betis board do not consider feasible.
Betis president Ángel Haro already ruled out his signing a few weeks ago with the arrival of Nelson Deossa. “Betis does not close the door on any player, especially those who have been at this club. Players simply have to fit within certain financial parameters; there is a lot of work behind the sporting quality of the players. It’s not a question of closing the door. I’ve already said what I have to say about Dani. He had his chance two years ago when the negotiations were between two parties. Now there are three, which complicates things a lot, and Betis is not going to pay a large transfer fee for Dani because it wouldn’t make sense,” he concluded.
His hints…
But Dani Ceballos has been sending hints to Real Madrid, or so it seemed. The first was a subtle Instagram story with an enigmatic message: “Nothing leaves the conscience clearer than ‘I TRIED EVERYTHING.’” A text that left many Madrid fans perplexed, who did not understand what was going on around the Utrera-born player.
Ceballos and the hints on Instagram.
The never-ending story. pic.twitter.com/qvYWTYerQG
— Varo (@AlvaroHuerga) July 21, 2025
And, as if that weren’t enough, before returning to preseason training in Valdebebas, Dani Ceballos sent another veiled message on his Instagram stories. This time, he was training. Getting in the mood, but with a song by Los Chichos called “Quiero ser libre” (I want to be free). Simple coincidence or veiled protest? Only he knows.
Real Madrid wants to keep him
Real Madrid has no intention of selling him, unless those 15 million (or more) are put on the table. As explained by Cadena SER, Xabi Alonso and the club have asked him to stay in the Spanish capital. Because if he leaves, they will have to go to the market. And in Chamartín they are clear: there is no midfielder as good as Dani. The Tolosa native is counting on him in his rotation. He could be a key player in the background. So, for now, Ceballos is looking to stay.
🚨‼️Dani CEBALLOS and Eduardo CAMAVINGA are STAYING at @RealMadrid
📲 The message from the club and Xabi Alonso to the player is that they want him to stay with the team
❌ Camvinga’s entourage ‘ignores’ interest from the Premier League
▶️ Reported by @AntonMeana on #ElLarguero pic.twitter.com/2278e1vjxS
— El Larguero (@ellarguero) July 23, 2025