Real Madrid out-of-favour star blocked Ligue 1 move in hope of joining former club | OneFootball

Things have moved quite rapidly in the Dani Ceballos transfer saga in the past 24 hours. The day began with news of the Real Madrid midfielder reaching an agreement with Olympique de Marseille to secure a move to France.

Soon enough, reports confirmed that Real Madrid and the Ligue 1 outfit had also reached an agreement over the operation, suggesting everything was on track for him to leave.

However, a while back, news broke that Ceballos had decided to pull the plug on the move, as he thought a move to Ligue 1 might be a step back and sought to fight for a place at Real Madrid.

Real Betis – The real intention

But, according to Rodra of ESPN, Ceballos put his transfer to Marseille on hold as he seeks a return to boyhood club Real Betis.

The Real Madrid midfielder had reached a full agreement to continue his career in Ligue 1, and everything pointed towards a loan deal with an obligatory €15 million purchase clause.

However, the operation was halted after Betis entered the picture, reigniting Ceballos’ long-standing desire to return to the club where he came through the academy and which he still supports.

Eager to move back to Real Betis. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Ceballos has struggled for minutes at Real Madrid this season, starting the first two La Liga matches on the bench.

The 29-year-old midfielder has already informed the club of his intention to leave in search of regular playing time, with the aim of earning a place in Spain’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Real Betis are now exploring ways to structure a deal that could bring Ceballos back to the Benito Villamarin, even as they continue separate negotiations with Manchester United for Antony.

The Andalusian club remain confident they can pull off both operations to strengthen their squad for the season.

Nonetheless, if Betis are unable to meet Real Madrid’s financial demands, Ceballos may remain at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After all, Marseille appear to have withdrawn fully from the race following the player’s change of heart.