Real Madrid News: Zidane sees Dani Ceballos as part of the future

Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos had an eventful 2019-2020 season while on loan at Arsenal, but there are still questions regarding his future at the Santiago Bernabeu.

At the midway point of the 2019-2020 season, Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos was reportedly frustrated with his lack of playing time at Arsenal. He seemed to want a mid-season loan back to La Liga, potentially joining a club like Valencia.

Arsenal were never likely to accept an early loan termination, especially not for such a high quality midfielder like Ceballos. So instead, new manager Mikel Arteta decided to throw down a challenge to the disgruntled star, and Ceballos responded brilliantly, impressing Arsenal with his displays and hard work.

Although there were rumblings the Gunners would try to sign Ceballos from Real Madrid, Los Blancos weren’t interested in reducing their asking price. So now, there’s speculation on what could be next for Ceballos, with many wondering if a loan back to Real Betis, where he once starred alongside current Madrid transfer target and Napoli star Fabian Ruiz, could be in the cards.

But it’s worth noting that in a recent interview with DAZN, via Managing Madrid’s Lucas Navarrete, Ceballos recalled Zinedine Zidane telling him that he will be a part of the club’s future:

"“I saw Zidane in Valdebebas a few months ago when I was recovering from my injury and he told me that he watched my games with Arsenal. I have a good relationship with him and he always told me that we are similar players in the sense that I need to play very often in order to be in good condition. He always told me that my future is in Real Madrid and that I needed to be patient because I will likely have a chance.”"

Most Real Madrid fans would love to see Ceballos get a chance to be a key part of the midfield next season and beyond. He’s just 23 and is an exciting player to watch. Ceballos would also be a free upgrade, whereas Real would have to spend potentially 80 million euros to buy Ruiz from Napoli.

There’s nothing against Ruiz, but Ceballos is even more of an engine in midfield and has jaw-dropping technical quality with his first touch and clever passing.

With so much uncertainty in the coming summer transfer window, keep a close eye on Ceballos’ role heading into 2020-2021. He could be an X-Factor for Real Madrid.