Carlo Ancelotti relies on 28-year-old midfielder despite last-minute exit attempts – report

Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is set to have a more significant role this season under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.

According to a recent report from AS, Ancelotti has assured Ceballos that he will be an important part of the squad this summer and despite rumours of a potential move back to Real Betis, Ceballos remains a Real Madrid player.

In the final days of the transfer window, there was some uncertainty about whether Ceballos would stay at Real Madrid or return to Betis, the club where he began his career.

Betis were keen to bring him back, and the club had been eyeing the possibility for a while. However, the offer they made did not come close to meeting Real Madrid’s demands. As a result, the negotiations never gained serious traction.

Interest in Ceballos intensified when Betis made moves to transfer Nabil Fekir to Al Jazira. The sale of Fekir, which could bring Betis up to €5 million, including potential bonuses, and free up some of the wage budget, led them to consider strengthening their midfield.

Betis had two familiar players in mind: Ceballos and Giovani Lo Celso. In the end, Betis opted to bring Lo Celso back, securing his services until 2028.

Ceballos was open to exit

Ceballos, who clocked only 846 minutes of play last season, was open to the idea of leaving in search of more playing time. Knowing this, Betis made a modest offer to Real Madrid last Thursday.

However, Real Madrid had a firm stance on Ceballos’s value, setting a price of €20 million for the player, who is under contract until 2027. Betis’s offer was significantly lower than Madrid’s asking price.

The talks did not progress beyond Thursday, and by Friday afternoon, Betis had announced an agreement with Tottenham to bring Lo Celso back for €5 million, along with a preferential option on Johnny Cardoso.

Now that the transfer window has closed, Ceballos’s future is clear—he will remain a part of Real Madrid’s squad. Ancelotti has reassured him of his importance to the team this season, suggesting that Ceballos could feature in up to 40 games.

Despite only playing a few minutes so far this season—coming on in the final minutes of both the Super Cup and a match against Valladolid—the long season ahead, combined with the absence of key players like Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham, could provide more opportunities for him in midfield.

Ceballos is staying put, determined to prove that he can live up to the role that Ancelotti has promised him.