Olympique Marseille are keen on signing Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid on Loan with option to buy this summer as dream target for their midfield.
Ceballos has found himself behind Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde in the pecking order, while Arda Guler’s revival under new coach Xabi Alonso has further tightened competition for the 29-year-old at Santiago Bernabéu.
After appearing in a cameo against Oviedo in Real’s latest La Liga fixture on Sunday, 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 midfielder, who has offers from Champions League outfits.
The Spaniard still has a contract until 2027, which ensures that the club are under no pressure to sell, and with no offers that satisfy Madrid’s demands, his departure has never been close.
But according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano via his X handle, Olympique Marseille have identified Dani Ceballos as their dream midfield signing.
Initial talks have already taken place, though negotiations with Real Madrid are expected to be challenging. The French club are pushing to make the move happen, with a loan deal including an option to buy currently under discussion.
His post reads:
“Olympique Marseille are keen on signing Dani Ceballos as dream target for the midfield.
Initial talks took place, not an easy deal with Real Madrid but Olympique Marseille are trying. #OM
Loan with option to buy being discussed.”
Ceballos, despite having offers from different clubs, 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 he moves to a different club and gets sufficient minutes, his dreams of featuring in the 2026 World Cup will remain in jeopardy.
However, negotiations won’t be easy for Marseille, as Real Madrid are not too keen on offloading Ceballos on a cheap valuation. From Softfootball perspective, the Spanish International would add a lot of creativity to a Marseille midfield that boasts the services of physically imposing players such as Hojbjerg and Geoffrey Kondogbia.
With Adrien Rabiot on his way out, Marseille believe the signing of Ceballos can bring that much-needed balance in the middle of the park. But it remains to be seen whether or not Real Madrid are interested in offloading Ceballos on a loan deal and even if they do, it will be on their terms.
