Real Madrid midfielder is undervalued, says ex-La Liga star – ‘Hasn’t been trusted 100%’ | OneFootball

As Real Madrid get set to take on UD Levante in a few hours in La Liga, Xabi Alonso is expected to make some changes to the starting XI.

One of the alterations could see fringe midfielder Dani Ceballos get a starting berth at the Ciutat de Valencia, with Federico Valverde likely to be moved to the right-back position.

Ceballos, 29, came close to leaving Real Madrid during the summer, with an agreement to join Marseille being in place. In the end, though, the Spaniard decided not to leave and fight for his place at the club.

The midfielder has been at Real Madrid for over eight years now but has never been able to establish himself as a permanent fixture in the team.

Ceballos not valued at Real Madrid

And, that is something that does not sit well with former Levante star Jose Campana, who claimed that Ceballos had not been trusted fully and given enough opportunities at the club.

Indeed, during an interview with AS, Campana, who is currently without a club after leaving Las Palmas in the summer, chose Ceballos as the Real Madrid player he identified the most with, saying:

“I’m going to surprise you because I’m going to say Dani Ceballos. I think he’s a spectacular player and he deserves more opportunities. He hasn’t been trusted 100% and there hasn’t been enough confidence to bet more on him.

“He hasn’t been valued in the same way as other players. I don’t know what goes on in Madrid’s day-to-day training sessions, but I don’t understand why he hasn’t been given continuity to prove his worth.”

Jose Campana believes Ceballos is undervalued at Real Madrid. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Campana also gave his two cents about Real Madrid’s links with Manchester City superstar Rodri, and whether he would be a good addition, as he said:

“I have no doubt about it. He would be great for them. We’re talking about a Ballon d’Or winner and a player who can reliably hold his own in a world-class team, as he has been doing for years with City.

“I played with him in the national team and thought he was magnificent.”

On Vinicius

Campana also discussed the current situation of Vinicius Jr. at Real Madrid, with the 25-year-old’s form on the decline and his place in the team no longer guaranteed.

“He’s a player who is under a lot of pressure and now has to adapt to a manager who makes a lot of changes,” said the 32-year-old.

“I don’t know if he feels overshadowed by Mbappe, but at the moment he’s not as important to his team. It’s clear that he’s not the Vinicius he used to be. He’ll have to accept his new role and react to change it.”