Ceballos: “I want to play for Real Madrid next season”

Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos has talked to AS in an interview where he previewed the Olympic Games and also discussed his future and his chances of staying in the Spanish capital next season.

“I’m calm and I’ve been very clear. I have two more years left in my contract with Real Madrid and my plan is to continue. We will see if the club is in touch with me after the Olympics and then I will make my decision. It’s clear, I want to play for Real Madrid next season, but we have to know the coach’s plans and be objective,” he said.

New Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly interested in signing Ceballos for Napoli. The midfielder was asked about this and whether or not Ancelotti’s presence could help him.

“With his signing there are many options for the midfield because he often plays with a 4-3-3 formation and one inverted winger inside. It will depend on my performances, my form and the talk we have to have in order for me to know what he wants from me. From that point on, I just want to have the same chances as everyone else on the team because I realize that if I want to play I have to earn it on the field in order to make the coach’s job more difficult,” he added.

Real Madrid were reportedly interested in selling Ceballos for around €30 million, but it’s not clear if he will have that kind of value in the current transfer market. Ancelotti could probably use him, but Ceballos has been vocal about his desire to play relevant minutes and it’s not clear if he will have what it takes to do so at Real Madrid.