Scout Report – Dani Ceballos
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to go head-to-head in the battle to sign Real Madrid starlet Dani Ceballos, who is understood to be unhappy with the lack of game time under Zinedine Zidane. Primarily a central midfielder, Ceballos joined the European champions only this summer but he has not been able to play much and is unable to develop further. Hence, a move could benefit the youngster, especially with the North London giants’ interest in him.
It remains to be seen if the youngster will be keen on moving all the way to England but he could be lured by the promise of being able to clock regular minutes on the field. He does seem like an interesting proposition, so let’s take a closer look at his profile.
History
Born in 1996 in Utrera, Spain, Ceballos joined Sevilla’s youth system in 2004 but was released in 2009 due to an illness. He then played for his hometown club, following which he made his way to Real Betis in 2011. After rising through the ranks for the next 3 years, Ceballos signed his professional contract in 2014. His performances caught Madrid’s eye and he joined the club earlier in July on a six-year deal.
He made his debut and has even featured a couple of times for Real but it has not been sufficient. Breaking into the first-team seems impossible for him at this point, making a move seem like it could be on the cards. As far as the international career goes, he currently plays for the Spanish U21 side.
Playing Style
Adept at dribbling and holding onto the ball, Ceballos does boast of a lot of skills despite being so young. He supports the attack and also contributes equally to the defence. Skilled at tackling and weaving his way past the opposition, Ceballos can shoot from distances and seems to have a penchant for long balls. He does get fouled often but there are some areas where he could improve. For example, Ceballos’ finishing could use some work and so could his aerial prowess. However, these aspects can be improved as time goes by.
Ceballos’ Future
With both Spurs and Arsenal interested in him, Ceballos does have some options in front of him. To make it all the more intense, Pochettino and Wenger can equally benefit from signing him. They are in need of having a dynamic and able midfielder in the middle of the park and Ceballos does seem like a worthy option to add some much-needed freshness to their midfield.