England international tops three Real Madrid options if Dani Ceballos leaves | OneFootball

Real Madrid are being faced with a potentially unplanned late move in the transfer market. The possible exit of Dani Ceballos has put manager Xabi Alonso and the club to work on a last-minute alternative.

Ceballos is keen to leave Real Madrid for a bigger role, with Olympique Marseille interested in him. They already have an agreement with Ceballos, but Real Madrid are yet to give the green light for a move. Xabi Alonso has asked the club for a replacement if Ceballos does leave.

Adam Wharton tops Real Madrid shortlist

According to Diario AS, the player that Real Madrid are most keen on replacing Ceballos with is Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. The main obstacle would be his price tag, which is a minimum of €80m, and even if Ceballos is sold for their €15m asking price, then it will still be a stretch for Los Blancos.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool FA Community Shield 10/08/2025. Adam Wharton 20 of Crystal Palace during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 10 August 2025. London Wembley Stadium Greater London England Editorial use only DataCo restrictions apply See www.football-dataco.com , Copyright: GrahamxHunt

In terms of profile and fit, they feel Wharton would be perfect for them though, and they will consider the move if Ceballos does leave. With Rodrygo Goes set to stay at the club, their original plan to fund the move no longer appears to be an option.

Kees Smit is plan B

Meanwhile Dutch midfielder Kees Smit has been one of the most talked about youngsters in Europe, after impressive showings for AZ Alkmaar and the Netherlands under-19 side, who he helped to the Euros title against Spain this summer. Smit, 19, is regularly watched by Real Madrid scouts, and would cost around €25-30m.

Thiago Pitarch could be an alternative

Should nobody arrive in place of Ceballos, then Los Blancos could turn to Castilla product Thiago Pitarch. The 18-year-old recently had his deal renewed, and reportedly impressed Alonso in preseason. Pitarch has been included in the Real Madrid squad for both of their opening games.

Image via Real Madrid Confidencial

Would Real Madrid go for Wharton or Smit late on?

Wharton has been attracting interest from major clubs for some time, but it would be unusual to see Los Blancos make such a large move late on in the window, and having already spent €167.5m this summer, they will be in no hurry to increase that figure by 50%. That said, Alonso does seem to have received backing over signings to date. Palace may well be reluctant to lose another major player, with Eze out the door, and Marc Guehi potentially following.

Smit acknowledged interest from Real Madrid earlier this summer, but said he was keen to continue his development at Alkmaar. All the same, if he were to receive assurances on his game time, Los Blancos are rarely turned down.