Real Madrid News
Ancelotti wants Real Madrid midfielder to renew, but club unsure – report
The future of Dani Ceballos at Real Madrid has been under a cloud of doubt for a while now. The Spanish midfielder has seen a resurgence in recent months but the administration are not convinced if his services are required for the next campaign.
According to reports from AS, Carlo Ancelotti has shown signs that he wants Ceballos to renew. However, the club is more cautious about the situation and will not take an impulsive decision.
At just 26 years of age, the Spaniard has his best years ahead of him and could theoretically form the core of Los Blancos’ midfield for years to come. With Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga performing at a high level, however, there are doubt as to whether he has a place in the team.
Ceballos has made 21 appearances for Real Madrid in La Liga this season, appearing as a starter on 11 occasions. He has provided two assists in that period and averages 1.1 key passes per game.
“I haven’t talked with Real Madrid about my extension. We have two interesting months ahead of us and I’m calm, it’s time to enjoy these two months.
“I would be making a mistake if I were to think about the extension, it’s time to enjoy football and take a step forward with Spain,” Ceballos told in an interview last month when asked about his future.
As expressed by the player, his future will indeed depend on his performance in the coming months. An impressive run at the business end of the season would almost ascertain the player of a longer future at Real Madrid.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
