Real Madrid: Why loaning out Dani Ceballos was the right decision

Real Madrid have had their fair share of criticism so far during this season for various reasons with the main one being that the squad is dangerously thin in midfield.

On the the other hand, Dani Ceballos finds himself making some new friends and fans in London during his one-year loan to Arsenal. Were Real Madrid right to send out the Spaniard for a year?

If you look at it at first glance, there is no doubt about it. Real Madrid are suffering because of their lack of midfielders, and an injury to just one of the players could leave the club in a very uncomfortable position. Meanwhile, they have a young talented player who has shown his desire to succeed at the club but was loaned out because Zidane apparently doesn’t like him.

However, let’s dissect this a little more.

Dani Ceballos is undoubtedly a talent that Real Madrid cannot get rid of permanently. He has proven how good he could be with Real Betis before also showing it in abundance with the U21 Spanish National Team. Through those performances, he has been called up with the senior national team and has had his moments of brilliance so far. He’s shown that he is capable of playing with the ‘big boys’. Isn’t this the problem though?

There are various examples of players who have done well for the mid-table teams before making their jump up the ranks and realizing maybe they weren’t ready to take that leap. One quick is example is Theo Hernandez, and even though it’s unfair to say the same about Dani Ceballos, why should Real take that risk?

Ceballos signed for Real Madrid in 2017 and never found himself in Zidane’s good graces. He featured more often under Julen Lopetegui – but not as much under Santiago Solari – before Zidane returned and the Spanish midfielder found himself heading to Arsenal. Playing for Arsenal in one of the best leagues in the world will do wonders for his experience, and no matter how good you think he is now, he’s definitely coming back as a much better and more mature player.

Yes, he has won over the fans at the Emirates Stadium due to his skill, but that’s because he offers a type of football that not many players possess. Spending this year at Arsenal and playing more football there than he would have at Real Madrid is the best decision for him – and for the club as well.

If they truly didn’t want him at the Sanitago Bernabeu in the future, they would have sold him as he had many suitors. However, they didn’t and they sent him to a club with a massive fanbase, real pressure on his shoulders, and a guarantee that he will play very often. Getting accustomed to all thee of those things will help you succeed at Real Madrid.

Loaning out Dani Ceballos is only a mistake if you look at our current squad depth with injuries. If all the players in the team are fit, then we have Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, James Rodriguez and Isco who can all play in that position.

Earlier in the season, the ‘Ceballos Debate’ came up because everyone in that list was injured aside from James and Kroos which gave the fans and the staff at the club plenty to worry about. However, with all of them fit and able to play, the amount of options available would give Zidane a headache as he figures out who should play when.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ceballos would not have played often in Madrid, and therefore he wouldn’t have been able to improve his abilities. He recently admitted that he wasn’t very happy in Madrid due to the lack of playing time, but it’s worth noting he later clarified that statement and said that even though it bothered him to not play often, he is aiming to return and fight for a spot at the club. Leaving permanently was never something on his mind.

Loaning out Ceballos not only was a great decision by the club given the circumstances, and it could prove to be vital to his growth. The experience he will receive in England will definitely be useful upon his return. We are speaking about an important puzzle-piece in Real Madrid’s future, and it will be very interesting to see how things go forward.