Dani Ceballos' 'last dance?' Real Madrid star hints at summer exit after La Liga win against Real Oviedo

After appearing in a cameo against Oviedo in Real's latest La Liga fixture, Ceballos posted a story on Instagram with the caption "Last dance" and a thank-you emoji. This suggests a potential shift in base for the 29-year-old, who has offers from Champions League outfits.

With Xabi Alonso taking charge at Madrid, Ceballos seems to have fallen in the pecking order. He is the sixth midfielder on the list, alongside injured players like Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga. The manager has preferred Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, along with Arda Guler, whom he has converted into a central role. This suggests it will be tough for Ceballos to get a place in the starting lineup. In the 3-0 win against Oviedo, he was subbed on to the pitch in the 86th minute, and against Osasuna, he joined the action in the 90th minute.

Ceballos, despite having offers, wanted to stay at Real and fight for his place. He was aware that if he could convince Alonso for a place in the lineup, it would be smoother for him to convince Luis de la Fuente to offer him a place in the upcoming World Cup. However, as things stand, unless Ceballos moves to a different club and gets sufficient minutes, his dreams of featuring in the 2026 World Cup will remain in jeopardy. Madrid are not reluctant to keep him and will be open to offers between €15-20 million (£13m/$18m to £17m/$23m).

Ceballos' future has to be decided in the next few days as the window closes on August 31. He was previously linked to Betis, but there is no concrete development on it.