Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos may have played his final game for the La Liga champions with Crystal Palace hoping to bring the £10 million-rated playmaker back to the Premier League, as reported by AS.
Is that it, then? The unexpected renaissance of Real Madrid’s forgotten man, coming to an end as quickly as it begun, fizzling out like a store-bought firework?
Ceballos barely kicked a ball in anger during the first three quarters of 2021/22.
But as Carlo Ancelotti shuffled his pack, balancing Champions League commitments with a domestic title charge, the former Arsenal loanee appeared to be in the midst of a resurrection that would rival that of Michael Keaton himself.
And Ceballos’ mesmerising performance in Real Madrid’s 4-0 thrashing of Espanyol was, for all intents and purposes, his Birdman moment.
CRYSTAL PALACE WANT REAL MADRID’S DANI CEBALLOS
“One of the performances of the season, by any Real Madrid player, and there’s been some spectacular performances!” Spanish football expert Terry Gibson tells the El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast.
“He has changed as a player. In his younger days at Real Betis, he had a bit of an identity crisis. People didn’t know how to use him. They used him as a number ten, an attacking player.
“But (against Espanyol), I saw a dynamic midfield player, to the extent that he looked like he could even play in the holding midfield role.
“He was racing around, closing people down, putting his foot in. And then, when he got on the ball, he was just absolutely brilliant. He was tremendous.”
The injury that kept Ceballos out of the Madrid derby with Atletico this weekend – and looks set to sideline him for the Champions League final – feels like a fitting metaphor for the Spain international’s entire career. Magic and malaise, arm in arm.
According to AS, Ceballos might have played his final game in that iconic white kit. He has just one year left on his contract and Real Madrid will consider offers in the region of £10 million this summer.
Real Betis want their prodigal son back home. But the report adds that there are a number of Premier League clubs with far greater financial muscle than Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Crystal Palace, per Sport, are one of those.
