Dani Ceballos has lost the trust of the Real Madrid management after the change of coach, and Alvaro Arbeloa has not counted on the player half as much as his predecessor Xabi Alonso did.
The Spanish midfielder was close to leaving Real Madrid in the summer and joining Marseille on a permanent transfer but cancelled his decision to leave after learning of Alonso counting on him.
Real Madrid’s decision to change managers midway through the season, needless to say, did not serve him any good and has seen him lose prominence.
In fact, he was not even called off the bench in the team’s recent defeat to Benfica where Arbeloa chose Jorge Cestero over him.
The future question
Given Ceballos’ current situation at the club, it is clear that a departure may well be his best bet. He could, on that front, choose to leave in the ongoing window or wait for the summer.
As confirmed by Carrusel Deportivo in a recent update, Ceballos will not leave in the winter under any circumstances despite all the rumours around his future.
Dani Ceballos, Real Madrid player
No January exit for Ceballos. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
In fact, Real Madrid consider the January window to be closed for them, and no further moves will be made – in both arrivals and departures.
Ceballos will continue to fight for six more months in a bid to impress Arbeloa and earn his favour, just as he did with the team’s previous two managers. Given the creatively deficient midfield, he can break back in.
A potential departure, thus, may only arrive in the summer when the player enters the final year of his contract. He will have the option of leaving for relatively lower wages immediately or seeing out an additional year at the club and leaving as a free agent.
His decision, needless to say, will depend on factors including his importance in the team, the managerial situation and the offers on his table at the time.