Liverpool and Arsenal handed boost over Real Madrid target
Liverpool and Arsenal’s hopes of landing Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos have been boosted, according to reports from Spain.
That’s because the La Liga giants have apparently given the 21-year-old permission to seek a move away from the Bernabeu this summer.
Spanish outlet Diario Gol report that Ceballos is keen for more regular minutes under a manager that trusts him with a more important squad role.
Since joining Madrid from Real Betis for around £16milliom last summer, Ceballos has only featured 19 times, starting in just seven matches.
And his limited game-time under Zinedine Zidane has left the promising Spanish youngster looking to continue his development elsewhere.
Diario Gol say that Ceballos believes another year on the bench at Madrid would be damaging to his progress and he has admitted it was a mistake not to return to Betis on loan for the current campaign.
Instead, Ceballos has spent much of his season resigned to the substitutes’ bench and has struggled to make the impact expected having shone for Spain U21s at the Euros, being named Player of the Tournament as they fell to Germany in the final.
But Ceballos - still viewed as a potentially world-class talent - is now said to be keen to leave to a top club with Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal among those thought to be interested.
The playmaker is keen on a switch to any of the three linked clubs, according to Diario Gol - though Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the club that have long been rumoured to make a move.
Ceballos has reportedly consulted Real Madrid president Florentino Perez of his intentions and the club’s decision-maker has given him the green light to leave despite penning him to a six-year contract on his arrival.
Ceballos’ €500m (£437m) release clause in the Spanish capital, introduced to keep rivals Barcelona away having gone head-to-head for his signature a year ago, could also complicate things.
Source: Daily Express
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