If a recent report from TalkSport is believed to be true, Aston Villa have shifted their focus to Dani Ceballos after missing out on Conor Gallagher. Tottenham Hotspur won the battle for the Atletico ...
If a recent report from TalkSport is believed to be true, Aston Villa have shifted their focus to Dani Ceballos after missing out on Conor Gallagher. Tottenham Hotspur won the battle for the Atletico Madrid midfielder. But the Villans, part of the Premier League’s three-horse title race alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, could now bring in the Real Madrid ace to boost themselves in the middle of the park.
Football expert Terry Gibson fuelled the speculations while speaking to TalkSport.
“There has been talk today in Spain that he is heading to Aston Villa, so that’s the reason he didn’t get on last night. Aston Villa, having missed out on Conor Gallagher, the talk is that Dani Ceballos is the other choice.”
The 29-year-old Los Blancos veteran is a familiar name in England due to his two-year loan stint at Arsenal. Unai Emery brought him to North London in the summer of 2019, but the Spanish boss was eventually relieved from his duties a few months later. Ceballos continued to feature under Mikel Arteta, who even brought back his fellow countryman for the 2020-21 season.
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 08: Dani Ceballos of Real Madrid runs with the ball during the Spanish Super Cup Semi-Final match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium on January 08, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Born in Utrera, the Spanish international progressed through the academy ranks of Sevilla, CD Utrera and Real Betis before breaking into Los Verdiblancos’ reserves in Segunda División B. He cemented a first-team status during Betis’ battle for promotion in the 2014-15 campaign, and continued to impress in La Liga over the next couple of years. His emergence caught the eyes of Real Madrid, who snapped him up for €18m in July, 2017.
Why Real Madrid Might Sanction His Exit
Despite making more than 200 appearances for the La Liga giants, Ceballos has been primarily viewed as a squad option to challenge and cover their midfield sensations. He continues to be the understudy to Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde, with the latter being forced to operate as a makeshift right-back amid the injury absence of both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal.
Meanwhile, Carvajal is now back in the squad and, therefore, expected to reclaim his starting spot for their midweek Champions League encounter against Monaco. Valverde should be restored in the centre of the pitch, thus pushing the Spaniard further down the pecking order for the remainder of the season.
Why Aston Villa Need Reinforcements In Midfield
Aston Villa are decimated in midfield, as the likes of Ross Barkley, Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara are nursing their respective injury woes. Youri Tielemans and Lemare Bogarde are there to slot in as the ‘double pivot’ in Emery’s 4-2-3-1 set-up, yet the lack of depth, quality and experience might haunt them deep down the season.
Ceballos is regarded for his composure, passing, holding and ball progression as a box-to-box midfielder, and his past stint in the Premier League should see him hit the ground running if a transfer takes place by the end of this month.
Category: General Sports
