Inter-city rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have reportedly opened talks with Real Betis’ 20-year-old central midfielder Dani Ceballos.
As per the report from the Spanish news outlet Don Balon, the representatives of Ceballos will meet the officials of both the clubs next week to discuss the prospect of a potential transfer.
Born in Sevilla, the midfielder joined the youth setup of Los Nervionenses but was released due to a chronic Bronchitis problem. Eventually, the youngster joined Real Betis in 2011 and went on to establish himself as a first-team regular. This season, even though he has failed to net a goal, his vision and ability to open up the game has been the key element for Betis.
He has represented Spain from U-19 and right at this very moment, the 20-year-old is a full-fledged U-21 international. His exploits in La Liga this term has seen him become one of the hottest properties in the footballing market and many clubs have been reportedly monitoring his progress throughout.
Arsenal, in particular, were interested in him last summer, but the move failed to transpire. Furthermore, it is also reported that the Galacticos have been targeting Ceballos for a long time and even agreed a fee of around €7 million for him around two seasons back, but Betis eventually raised his asking price to €10 million.
He certainly will be a vital element for both the Madrid clubs as James Rodriguez and Isco (from Real) and Yannick Carrasco and Saul Niguez (from Atletico) are facing uncertain future, hence, expect a tough bidding war. With all being said and done, everything is expected to be finalised in the coming week and we will surely have a clear picture.
