Real Madrid Outcast Drops Major Hints About Summer Departure: "I Hope"

Real Madrid's central midfielder Dani Ceballos has spoken candidly about his unclear prospects at the club while expressing longing for his former team.

With two years remaining on his Santiago Bernabéu contract, Ceballos served as a reliable squad rotation option under Carlo Ancelotti's management. However, limited playing time under Xabi Alonso during the FIFA Club World Cup suggests challenging times ahead if he remains.

Throughout the competition, Alonso gave the creative midfielder only four substitute appearances, accumulating merely 70 minutes of actual playing time.

Toni Kroos's retirement last summer failed to create new opportunities for him, and Luka Modrić's departure won't help either, as Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouameni and Arda Güler remain ahead in the midfield hierarchy.

Ceballos established himself at Real Betis before joining Real Madrid in 2017, subsequently spending two loan spells at Arsenal. Betis has maintained top-seven La Liga finishes since 2020 and advanced to last season's UEFA Conference League final. With Europa League participation in 2025–26, the club presents an attractive destination.

"Betis represents home for me and always will, I hope their door remains open," Ceballos shared with El Chiringuito.

He mentioned that while discussions with Real Madrid are yet to occur, they're scheduled: "Future talks will happen following this week. No meetings have taken place so far."

A successful club campaign could potentially restore Ceballos to Spain's national squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup next summer. The 28-year-old has earned 13 international caps, with all except two occurring between September 2018 and October 2020, and hasn't represented his nation since 2023.