Real Madrid News
La Liga club not giving up on free transfer pursuit of Real Madrid midfielder
According to AS, Real Betis still remain interested in signing former midfielder Dani Ceballos when his contract with Real Madrid expires at the end of the season.
Ceballos came through the ranks at Real Betis and was regarded as one of the most talented young midfielders in Spain when he made the move to Madrid in the summer of 2017.
The 26-year-old did not get enough opportunities early in his tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu and spent two seasons out on loan at Arsenal. Upon returning in 2021, Ceballos was not a regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
But, slowly and steadily, the midfielder has shown that he can be a valuable commodity in the team, especially with his performances this season in the post-World Cup period.
In 24 games this term, Ceballos has scored a goal and set up six more, with his performance against Elche earlier this week being a standout.
Owing to his recent form, Real Madrid are now considering offering the Spaniard a new contract, with his current one expiring at the end of the season.
But, with still no move made on that front, Real Betis are monitoring the situation closely as they remain interested in re-signing Ceballos on a Bosman deal in the summer.
In fact, the report from AS even adds that Los Verdiblancos made their first financial and sporting proposal to the midfielder recently, but he remains keen on how things go for him with Real Madrid in the remainder of the season.
As iterated earlier, Ceballos has been gaining prominence in Ancelotti’s plans in recent months and has repaid the faith with some solid displays. With Luka Modric’s continuity up in the air, it could become important for the Merengues to keep hold of the Spaniard.
Ceballos has maintained that he wants to continue at Real Madrid. But if a renewal offer does not arrive, Real Betis are waiting in the wings while Inter Milan are said to be interested as well.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder trained away from the group last week, but has no injury – report
With the international break underway, several Real Madrid players have been called up for national team assignments. The stars who have not travelled for international duty have continued to work at the club’s Valdebebas training facility to prepare for the restart.
Toni Kroos is one such player who has remained in Madrid, having retired from international football back in 2021.
However, there had been concerns growing around the 33-year-old’s physical condition as he regularly did indoor work last week and was not spotted in group training with his teammates.
Now, Sergio Quirante has come up with an update on Kroos’ situation, stating that even though the midfielder largely did individual work inside the facilities over the last week, he is fine and has no injuries.
Taking advantage of the international break, the former Bayern Munich superstar is understood to have gone through an individual program to prepare for the final, decisive stretch of the 2022/23 season.
Kroos not being injured comes as a big positive for Real Madrid, ahead of important games against Real Valladolid and Barcelona within the first five days of April.
The rest of the Real Madrid midfield contingent – Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Dani Ceballos – are all away on international duties and could return with some fatigue from the travel.
So, it is important that Kroos is fully fit and ready to go as Real Madrid look to cut down the gap to the top of the table in La Liga and also make it to the finals of the Copa del Rey by overturning a first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the semi-finals.
Kroos has played 37 matches this season, chipping in with two goals and five assists in the process. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it is still unclear whether he will renew or hang up his boots.
