Olympique de Marseille has gone in hard to try and pull Dani Ceballos away from Real Madrid. The Spanish outlet As reports the French club could spend as much as €15 million to land the 29-year-old midfielder, who’s been fading from the picture since Xabi Alonso took over on the Madrid bench. Signed back in 2017, Ceballos has slipped into the role of a luxury substitute, and now he looks closer than ever to a breaking point in his career. For Marseille, this isn’t only about a smart market move, it’s also a signal that Real’s patience with the player might be running out.
The player overlooked by Xabi Alonso
Since Alonso arrived, it’s been obvious that Ceballos isn’t part of the core group. He’s been on the bench in every game so far. In La Liga, he’s only come on after the 40th minute in the opening two rounds. At the Club World Cup, the pattern was nearly identical: plenty of time waiting, scraps of minutes on the field. He got into four matches, always late, without much chance to influence anything.
It’s a stark contrast with the way things looked when he first joined in 2017, when there was so much buzz around his potential. Over the years he’s built a respectable résumé with the club, almost 200 appearances in total, 194 to be exact, along with seven goals and 16 assists. Nothing earth-shattering, but enough to show steady contribution in one of the toughest squads in world soccer. Now, though, the reality is different: he’s little more than a background figure.
Between Madrid and Marseille, a choice that shapes the future
Marseille’s interest could give Ceballos the reset he’s been waiting for. With Real Madrid he’s collected trophies galore: four Club World Cups, three Champions League medals, two La Liga titles, two UEFA Super Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey. It’s an incredible haul, yet the truth is he’s rarely been a central figure in those wins.
At 29, the question is staring him in the face. Does he keep stacking medals as a backup, or go chase minutes and responsibility in a club ready to hand him a bigger role? Marseille, battling in Ligue 1 and showing up regularly in European competitions, seems ready to offer just that. It may not have the glamour of Madrid, but it can give him something he hasn’t had for years: real continuity.