When Xabi Alonso was announced as Real Madrid's new manager this summer, a major overhaul of the squad was always expected. A number of the veteran players in the squad have made way for new players who arrived this summer; those new players are expected to be cornerstone pieces of the Spaniard's system.
Players like Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez, who have been incredible players for Real for more than a decade, have seen their time at the club tearfully come to an end and have departed for the next chapter of their careers.
However, there are some players of the older generation who have managed to stick around in Xabi Alonso's squad full of younger talent. One of the surprising "older" players who has managed to stay in the squad is midfielder, Dani Ceballos.
With Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga returning from injury, and Arda Güler getting a bigger role in the team, many expected Ceballos to leave the club, with rumors linking him to clubs like Real Betis and Marseille.
The Spaniard, however, remained at the club and wasn't expected to see much game time this season. However, according to reports from Spain, the card may start to fall in the midfielder's favor.
Xabi Alonso is keen to revive the career of a forgotten midfielder who almost left
As being reported by Marca, Dani Ceballos is starting to win over Xabi Alonso after putting in a number of impressive performances so far this season. His game against Kairat has opened the door for him to have a bigger role in the team going forward.
The Spaniard completed an impressive 101 of his 106 passes against Kairat, a statistic that reflects not only his Toni Kroos like accuracy, but also bring some resemblance of consistency to an inconsistent midfield in the early days of the new season.
Not only has Ceballos proven to be an under the radar player this season, he did it last season as well. Los Blancos were riddled with injuries last season, which saw Ceballos play more minutes than he usually would, and he was one of the few bright spots of an otherwise underwhelming campaign.
The 29-year-old is far from a guaranteed starter in Real's squad, having started only three of nine games so far this season. However, his profile is emerging as the replacement for Toni Kroos that the midfield has desperately been missing.