Real Madrid News
Ceballos talks following Real Madrid 4-2 Almeria: “My objective is to play”
Luka Modric has been ruled out for at least two weeks after suffering a hamstring blow earlier this week. The setback could not have come at a worse time, for he is likely to miss both the Copa del Rey final and the first leg against Manchester City.
One player who has benefitted immensely from the Croatian International’s injury, however, is Dani Ceballos. Playing in a similar position, the midfielder can now hope to even start on the big nights coming up.
In fact, Carlo Ancelotti himself confirmed that Ceballos would be his best bet as a replacement for Luka Modric earlier this week.
“The one I see as the most similar in terms of characteristics is Ceballos, but we have different resources in midfield. What can’t be replaced is his experience in this type of situation.”
The 26-year-old ace spoke after Real Madrid’s win over Almeria and began his interview with a comment on how Modric’s injury was a blessing in disguise for him.
“Modrić’s injury is a pity but now there’s one more position in the midfield and I can enjoy these games. It’s very nice for me.”
The midfielder went on to detail the position in which he felt most comfortable on the field and also added a note on proving his worth as a starter to Carlo Ancelotti.
“I feel more comfortable on the left because I have a much wider periphery of the pitch. Playing on the right is a bit more complicated, but that’s what I have to do now.”
“I hope to achieve some continuity. It’s up to the coach to decide, but my objective is to get more playing time and that when he needs me he knows that he has a guarantee in this position. I’m very happy with the confidence he’s placed in me.”
Ceballos then went on to detail his relationship with Vinicius Jr on the field and the understanding the duo shared when on the ball.
“I understand him very well. We are very close and just by looking at each other, I know when he’s going to go into space or when he wants it to feet. That’s fundamental.”
Source: Real Madrid website
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has triggered a wave of massive establishment within the country so much so that the league has approached players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and even Karim Benzema.
Benzema’s departure from Real Madrid is imminent and if a report from Diaro AS is to be believed, the Frenchman contacted his former Madrid teammate, Ronaldo, to ask him for information about the Saudi league, living conditions and other teams.
All this because it is said that the legendary Frenchman has received a lucrative offer from the newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad. As reported before, the star striker will earn more than €100 million per year across his two-year contract with the Saudi team.
At the moment, the Saudi government has approved all of Benzema’s requests and while it is said that he can join the team of his choice, Al Ittihad’s recent flirting had made them absolute favourites.
That said, the transfer may have taken a u-turn recently, as Benzema spoke about staying at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet.”
In a recent turn of events, Helder Costa openly spoke about Benzema’s arrival, saying that his team is ‘excited about the arrival of the Balon d’Or winner.’ As if that is not enough, a club fan also showed a Karim Benzema edit on the big screen during their title celebrations.
Meanwhile, since the transfer is not confirmed, Real Madrid continue to be uninformed of Benzema’s decision. And this remains a major problem for the team from the capital city as their summer transfer plan hinges on the continuity of the Frenchman.
At the moment, the team is said to be closing in on the signing of Joselu from Espanyol. However, it must be noted that the forward will only be arriving on a season-long loan as Madrid already have big plans for the summer of 2024, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe both lined up.
