Dani Ceballos’s Real Madrid contract expires at the end of the season, so will he sign a new deal or find a new, permanent home?

Dani Ceballos has gone from being disposable at Real Madrid to a priority for the club’s renewal plans in recent week. Or, at least, that’s how it was being reported until this week.

Although his contract expires at the end of this season, Real Madrid were rumoured to have placed a new deal on the table, and the 26-year-old is turning down offers to stay in Spain.

Bayern Munich had expressed interest in signing Ceballos on a free this summer, but the midfielder reportedly rejected their offer as he wants to stay in his homeland.

Ceballos spent two underwhelming seasons on loan with Arsenal before returning to Real Madrid, where he has been performing well in recent games.

Ceballos is said to be “regaining his confidence and happiness” while also winning over the home crowd, who have been urging him to stay. Despite this, some parts of the media are pressuring him to stay with Real Madrid by accusing him of betraying the club if he takes €10m to sign for Real Betis.

Overall, it looked like Ceballos had turned his fortunes around and was in high demand by top European clubs, including Real Madrid, but his minutes there are declining once again.

Whether he decides to stay or not is still very much up in the air.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly “marked a clear path” for Ceballos to leave, with the player not considered part of their future. His absences in key games indicate the former Chelsea manager could be happy to see Ceballos leave. He played just nine minutes, for instance, of their game against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Ceballos began his career with Real Betis, where he made his debut for the first team in April 2014 at the age of 17. He quickly established himself as a regular starter and became one of the key players for the club.

In 2017, he was named the Player of the Tournament at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

After his impressive performances, Ceballos caught the attention of Real Madrid, and he joined the club in the summer of 2017. In his first season with the club, he made 22 appearances in La Liga and helped the team win the UEFA Champions League.

However, he struggled to get regular game time in his second season and was loaned out to Arsenal for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

During his time at Arsenal, Ceballos struggled to impress, although he did win the FA Cup. He returned to Real Madrid for the 2021-22 season, where he made 18 appearances in all competitions.

Ceballos is known for his technical ability, passing accuracy, and dribbling skills. He can play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, or as a defensive midfielder.

He has represented Spain at various youth levels and made his debut for the senior team in 2018.