Should Real Madrid look to sell 26-year-old midfielder for €15m amid interest from Aston Villa?| SolSportHQ

It has already been a busy summer transfer window at Real Madrid. They have already signed five first team players (Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham, Joselu Mato and Arda Guler) and more could follow, most notably Kylian Mbappe, who has been heavily linked with joining from Paris Saint-Germain.

Florentino Perez and his team are monitoring Mbappe’s situation, but they are focusing on departures for the time being. Several younger players have been been sold or will soon be sold, with the latest being Sergio Arribas.

Real Madrid’s first team looks well set. Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Mariano Diaz all departed as free agents earlier this summer, but besides that, the squad has not been disturbed.

This could change. Dani Ceballos, who only signed a new contract a few weeks ago, has been linked with a move to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, and Sport have reported that they are preparing a €15m offer for the 26-year-old.

Ceballos won’t be a regular starter for Real Madrid going forward, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni all expected to be ahead of him in the pecking order. However, he is likely to be a useful squad player, like he was last season.

The problem for Ceballos is that Real Madrid have added Bellingham since last season, and with the fixture schedule not as condensed for 2023-24, it means that there is a higher chance that he doesn’t play.

On top of this, Nico Paz has emerged as a genuine first team contender during pre-season. The Argentine teenager, who only went on Real Madrid’s US pre-season tour because Ceballos is injured, has greatly impressed Carlo Ancelotti in training over the last few weeks.

Paz could also challenge Ceballos for a first team spot, although a spell in Castilla or a loan move is more likely. Still, it is another piece of competition for the Spanish international, which Real Madrid will be aware of.

The fact of the matter is Real Madrid don’t necessary need the €15m that Aston Villa are planning to offer, although it could be used towards signing Mbappe this summer. In this regard, they may choose to cash in on Ceballos, especially considering they could have lost him for free a few weeks ago.

However, Ceballos is an excellent squad player, and as long as he is content in this role, Real Madrid should be looking to retain his services. He showed last season that he is a very good option, although the situation could change if a bigger offer comes in.