3 players Real Madrid still need to sell before the transfer window ends

3. Dani Ceballos

Dani Ceballos’ fate at Real Madrid has been gloomy from the start. The Real Betis academy graduate was signed by Real in the summer of 2017 for a reported value of 18 million euros, a fairly expensive figure for a player who had uninspiring seasons with both Real Madrid and Arsenal, where he was loaned.

However, his comeback season at Real Madrid in 2021/22 proved to be a silver lining as the Spanish midfielder put in some spectacular performances, notably in the last few weeks of the season, strengthening his case in the midfield business.

But, was that enough for Ceballos to stay in Madrid for another season? Regrettably, no. Ceballos’ game had improved significantly, but not enough for the team to consider him a potential asset for the future.

The subsequent addition of French prodigy Aurelien Tchouameni has further exacerbated Ceballos’ situation, as it is now fairly certain that he will not be getting any minutes above Fede Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, and the KCM trio.

Selling Dani Ceballos will not only save the club an estimated 7 million euros in wages, but it will also benefit the player, who is hoping to make Spain’s World Cup team and is in desperate need of playing time next season. A transfer back to Real Betis seems to be likely, though no official news has been broken yet.