Real Madrid: Why Dani Ceballos should leave the club on loan

Dani Ceballos signed for Real Madrid in 2017, just weeks before the start of the season. I was particularly excited. That was because I had seen what he was (or is) capable of at Betis, and for Spain’s under 21 team. He showed incredible composure on the field, and was one of the most skilful players in the whole league that season. He was having a great time, and that’s why Real Madrid went for him.

But the first season at Madrid didn’t go so well for the Spanish midfielder. He didn’t get many minutes at all, and only made 12 appearances for the club, which includes just four starts. His relationship with Zinedine Zidane wasn’t the best, either, and I’m pretty sure he was left disappointed because of his limited playing time.

He did have more opportunities in the next season, but not enough for him to make a proper impact, and his performances weren’t up to standard either.

Then, in search of more playing time, Ceballos went to Arsenal for two seasons. He started off brilliantly in the first season, but then simmered down a little bit. Since then, he only showed flashes of brilliance from his old days, but he never actually did that consistently. Things were not looking well for him in the second season either, and as expected, Arsenal chose not to enquire about another loan deal for the Spaniard.

Now, under the new management of Carlo Ancelotti, Dani Ceballos is back in Madrid. But, his recent quotes have taken me by surprise: He says he wants to stay and fight for the club, and that the club recognises how good he is and will hope to see more from him. Obviously, if a good enough loan deal pops up, he won’t bluntly say no. But he does want to continue with Los Blancos, apparently.

But we know it’s Real Madrid, and sometimes, it doesn’t really matter what fringe players want. It’s a given that not everyone will get minutes, and some talented players are bound to miss out on first-team action. That’s the whole reason why Real Madrid send players on loan. Dani Ceballos sure is talented, but he hasn’t done anything significant enough in the last four seasons to secure a place in the first team.

Look at the players in his spots at the moment: Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, Martin Odegaard and Isco. All of those five players have shown either in the past or in the present that they belong in this squad. Now, obviously, Isco has regressed quite a bit, but he still has had great seasons under his belt, and even though there are rumors of him leaving the club, his contribution during his prime years was immense and he fully deserved a place in the first team.

What has Dani Ceballos really done to prove his worth and fight for first-team spots? I don’t really see much of it. Obviously, he had a couple of great seasons with Real Betis, but this is Real Madrid. It’s a different level, a different game altogether. Players aren’t given many opportunities unless they earn them.

Dani Ceballos hasn’t earned anything yet, that’s why I think going out on loan to a La Liga team would be the best option for him. He definitely has the talent, but he needs to be consistent enough with it, or else he just won’t get the chance to play for a club like Real Madrid again.

And in the rare case that Real Madrid keep Ceballos around, he will have to take every single opportunity with both hands, and make sure that he performs at his best in every game to earn a spot in the first team. It doesn’t seem likely at all, but you never know.

I’m saying this not because I don’t want the guy to succeed, or have a future with Real Madrid, but because of the exact opposite. I’ve seen how high his ceiling goes, and I really want him to become an important Real Madrid player. But the Dani Ceballos of today will not have a chance to be an important figure at the club, just because of his lack of commitment and consistency.  He won’t improve until he gets ample playing time, and he won’t get that at Real Madrid.