Will Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos leave Xabi Alonso to join Juventus?

Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is concerned about his playing time under Xabi Alonso and may consider leaving the Spanish capital this summer, reports said. The Los Blancos are reportedly considering signing another midfielder to deepen their squad strength before the transfer window shuts and this could further diminish his chance of getting regular playtime, Ceballos is reportedly worried.

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Earlier, AC Milan were said to be interested in buying the 28-year-old Spanish international who was forced to play second fiddle to Toni Kroos and Luka Modric since his arrival in 2017. Real signed him from Real Betis after they identified him to be one of the most promising midfielders in La Liga. He spent two years with Arsenal on loan, earning further accolades for his skills, particularly intelligent pressing, passing and tactical flexibility.

 

Despite being a regular starter, former Real Madrid gaffer Carlo Ancelotti loved having Ceballos in the team. While Xabi is not likely to ignore Ceballos, it is likely that others are going to be used more often than him and the Spanish international can't be blamed for believing he needs regular playtime.

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According to reports, Real Madrid are open to selling Ceballos, who has a couple of years left on his current contract for £20 million. Juventus and Real Betis are said to be two teams who are currently discussing Ceballos. Douglas Luiz and Weston McKennie are almost certain to leave Turin this summer, leaving Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram without any backups. Ceballos is experienced enough to compete with them for a starting position, the Serie A giants believe. They have a budget of £10 million for the new midfielder and will hope to convince Real to bring down their asking price.

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Real Betis, meanwhile, may consider bringing back their former player as they are still trying to figure out how to patch up the Antony void. Manchester United are not interested in another loan deal for the Brazilian and the Seville side are in no financial position to buy Antony. Thus, they may go for a midfield fortification by bringing back Ceballos, some reports said.

 

However, the Real Betis board is not fully on board as they were unhappy that Ceballos decided to leave the club as a free agent instead of helping them get a transfer fee. This may conclusively stall his return to the Villamarín, Italian media reports said. It is unknown if AC Milan will rejoin the transfer race if Real Madrid officially put their player in the market.

 

Ceballos has made 192 appearances for the 15-time European champions so far, registering seven goals and 16 assists.

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