As per a report from Spanish outlet Don Balon this morning, Liverpool will make a move for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos upon the opening of the summer transfer market.
In-demand
Ceballos, a highly-regarded 21-year-old midfielder, was the subject of a transfer tug-of-war between Real and Barcelona during the summer, with Atletico Madrid and Juventus having also expressed an interest in his services.
The Real Betis prodigy eventually opted for the Bernabeu, though, with Florentino Perez and co. even agreeing to pay 17 million Euro for Ceballos’ signature, despite the fact that his buyout clause was set at just 15 million.
Benched
However, his time in the Spanish capital has not gone exactly according to plan to this point, with Ceballos having managed just 2 La Liga starts thus far this season.
While the Spanish youngster was no doubt well aware that playing time would prove hard to come by based on the presence of the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Mateo Kovacic at the Bernabeu, reports over the last couple of months have suggested that Ceballos nevertheless expected to receive considerably more minutes on the pitch than he has been afforded to this point in the campaign.
Merseyside bound?
As such, unsurprisingly, a number of Europe’s biggest clubs have already been linked with potential summer swoops for Ceballos, with both Arsenal and Tottenham having reportedly made their interest in the creative midfielder’s services known.
And, as per the aforementioned report from Don Balon, the North London duo have since been joined by Liverpool in the race for the Real Madrid youngster, with Jurgen Klopp eager to add to his midfield options at Anfield this summer following the departure of Philippe Coutinho and expected exit of Emre Can.
Klopp has reportedly identified the characteristics of Ceballos as ideal for his vision of Liverpool’s midfield moving forward, with the Reds ready to tempt Los Blancos’ arm with a big-money summer offer.
Staying put
However, any stories linking Ceballos with an exit from the Spanish capital should be taken with a pinch of salt, with Real unlikely to be ready to give up on a player who was named Player of the Tournament at last summer’s U21 European Championships and has long been regarded as one of the finest young midfielders in world football.
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