Real Madrid might sell one of their midfielders at a bargain price

Real Madrid will have some tough decisions to make in the midfield this summer, but their first decision won’t actually be in their hands.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen the true brilliance of Dani Ceballos. Purchased from Real Betis in 2017 for just under 20 million euros, Ceballos made very few appearances with the Merengues before a two-year loan at Arsenal.

While Ceballos had moments of brilliance in North London, his inconsistency made it clear that the Gunners would not spend on him. Instead, they paid a bit more and signed Martin Odegaard, who has been flourishing there.

But in the second half of the 2021/22 season, Ceballos, as Carlo Ancelotti predicted, has played an important role for the Merengues. Quality off the bench in the Copa del Rey, Ceballos has really kicked things up a notch lately with classy displays in starts against Osasuna and Espanyol, helping the Merengues beat two LaLiga sides they lost to earlier this season. And he was also solid in the late stages of the unforgettable Remontada over Manchester City.

Real Madrid may have to sell Dani Ceballos for less than 20 million euros

Real Madrid want to keep him now, but does he want to stay? Is he willing to be a backup and perhaps miss out on a chance at the World Cup for Spain due to insufficient playing time? Or does he want to parlay these great showings for Madrid into a starring role for a smaller club?

According to a report from Manu de Juan of AS, the ball is in Dani Ceballos’ court. Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid want to keep him, but his future is his decision to make. He can sign a renewal with Los Blancos and stay, or he will be sold.

And how much are Real willing to sell him for? Just 16.5 million euros, enough to recoup the initial investment they paid to Real Betis about five years ago.

That is a bargain for any team willing to sign him. Betis could basically get Ceballos for what they sold, and they are getting a better version of Ceballos than even the one who stood out enough in Seville to earn the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Of course, Real Madrid would not have much of a choice but to sell Ceballos to someone at a bargain price. They would have no leverage if he does not want to renew. And it is not like they can extort mid-level clubs or ask them to pay more money than what is in their budget. Transfer fees are dictated by the financial level of the buying clubs; that is how the market works.

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To Real, Ceballos should be more valuable than 16.5 million euros. However, this is Ceballos’ decision to make, and Real are not in a position to force themselves on Ceballos. Nor would they ever want to do that to a player, as we saw with Odegaard and Raphael Varane in 2021.