The summer at Real Madrid had seemed settled after four signings, with Xabi Alonso’s squad looking balanced and ready for the season ahead, yet a turn of events in Andalusia has reopened one of the club’s oldest transfer stories.
Real Betis were dealt a blow during a preseason match against Malaga when Isco Alarcon, the former Madrid playmaker now their creative heartbeat, fractured his leg.
The injury will keep him out for about three months and Betis are now searching for a creative midfielder, which has reportedly revived their long-standing interest in Dani Ceballos.
Ceballos, now 29, is no stranger to speculation about a homecoming. He came through Betis’ academy before leaving for Madrid in 2017 and over the years he has made no secret of his affection for the club where he grew up.
Although Alonso has reportedly told him he wants him to stay for the new campaign, Ceballos has made it clear that Betis is the only side he would consider joining this summer.
He has reportedly turned down a recent offer from a club in Saudi Arabia.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
For the Madrid board, led by Florentino Perez, the stance is reportedly simple- they will not push him out but will not stand in his way if Betis place a suitable offer on the table.
Eight years after he first walked into the Bernabeu dressing room, the possibility of returning to his boyhood club has rarely felt more realistic and it is a scenario that the hierarchy in Madrid is preparing for quietly but with full awareness of the potential consequences.
If that moment comes, the next step is already mapped out.
Real Madrid’s shortlist prepared for a possible midfield gap
According to Defensa Central, the first name on their list is 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smith who plays for AZ Alkmaar and has caught the attention of scouts across Europe.
Angelo Stiller of VfB Stuttgart is the another one, who was previously discounted due to injury concerns but is still considered a viable signing if talks progress quickly.
They are also tracking Exequiel Palacios of Bayer Leverkusen and Hugo Larsson of Eintracht Frankfurt, two players Alonso knows well from his Bundesliga days and who could fit immediately into Madrid’s style of play.
Real Madrid news and related links
