Real Madrid midfielder ‘reflecting on future’ after struggling for prominence | OneFootball

After the match against Sevilla came to an end, Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos travelled to his hometown to enjoy a few days of holiday with his family.

With the mid-season break underway, the 29-year-old star is enjoying time away from football with his close circle, but at the same time, he is also ‘reflecting on his future’, reports AS.

No prominence in team

Under contract until 2027, Ceballos finds himself in a difficult limbo at Real Madrid. The match against Sevilla was the fifth consecutive league game in which he did not play a single minute.

The Spaniard’s most recent league appearance dates back to the 2-2 draw against Elche on 23 November, more than a month ago.

Up to that match in Elche, the Spaniard had played in nine league games, starting three of them. Against Elche it was his fourth appearance in the starting XI, with six further outings from the bench.

Stuck. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

He has accumulated 358 minutes across those ten appearances and has never completed a full match, while failing to score or assist a goal. In the Champions League, he has one start and has played a little over 200 minutes, while he started the Copa del Rey game vs Talavera.

Ceballos in a limbo

Ceballos was expected to be one of the leaders in midfield after the departure of Toni Kroos in 2024 and that of Luka Modric last summer. However, the former Real Betis ace has not taken the step forward that was expected of him.

While there have been glimpses of his quality, a lack of consistent run in the team and recurring injury problems have held the midfielder back.

The 29-year-old needs minutes to develop and to show his quality, but he is held back by competition from teammates such as Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, and Aurelien Tchouameni – who is an untouchable in Xabi Alonso’s team.

Meanwhile, rumours of a potential return to Real Betis are surfacing again for the umpteenth time, with the player himself fanning the flames.

Yet, there has been no movement on that front either, and Ceballos remains stuck in his unfavourable situation.