Real Madrid News
Real Madrid in talks to terminate the contract of midfield outcast – report
Every once in a while, a club and a player agree on a contract extension that does not make sense for either party involved, and whose repercussions become clear only in the years to come.
One such situation Real Madrid have found themselves in over recent years is the renewal of Dani Ceballos, who signed a new deal with the club in 2023 hoping to become a mainstay under Carlo Ancelotti.
At the time, the Italian tactician promised the player regular minutes and even possibly a starting role in his project.
Neither he nor his successors eventually delivered on that promise, and Ceballos spent some of the prime years of his career on Real Madrid’s bench with no prominence.
Set to terminate
The Spanish midfielder has been looking for a departure from Real Madrid for a relatively long time now, and was even close to leaving for Ligue 1 last summer.
One more disappointing season later, Jorge C Picon reveals that the player and the club are discussing a contract termination.
With Ceballos’ situation not looking promising on an economic level and the player not having any place in the dynamics, both parties appear to have reached a middle ground that a termination of the contract will be the best decision for all parties involved.
In fact, there is even a general feeling that an agreement can be reached soon and that the player can walk away from the club. He will be able to join any club as a free agent and will be released from the shackles of Real Madrid’s bench.
Run out of hope
Year after year, Ceballos has remained one of the most positive players in Real Madrid’s dressing room despite his lack of minutes. He has patiently waited for his chance, but it unfortunately never arrived.
The managerial change at Real Madrid may have given him another bout of hope, but given how Jose Mourinho is going all out with new signings and mercilessly handling the situation of existing stars, it is clear that Ceballos will not have prominence under him either.
Mourinho is looking to reform Real Madrid’s midfield with key signings. Bernardo Silva has already arrived, but there is talk of another Galactico signing like Enzo Fernandez or Rodri arriving and even of Mateus Fernandez being signed.
Ceballos, for his part, will look to push negotiations with Real Betis and secure a return to his boyhood club – something he has been longing for a long time.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
