Atletico Madrid Interested in Acquiring Dani Ceballos who is Leaving Real Madrid
July 6, 2026 · Global
Dani Ceballos has left Real Madrid and is now on a free transfer. Atletico Madrid showed interest in signing him, although previously the relationship had faded. Ceballos' playing style is considered to be able to complement Atletico's midfield needs.
Real Madrid have announced the departure of Dani Ceballos this summer, after a season dominated by being on the bench. It is possible that Los Blancos will see him back in La Liga, but he may remain closer to home than expected. Ceballos, 29, and Real Madrid reached an agreement last month to terminate the one year remaining on his contract. This allowed him to leave the club as a free agent and look for a new club. He has been heavily linked with Ajax, but it seems those negotiations have not yet come to fruition. His boyhood club, Real Betis, have also continued to be linked with Ceballos, but that has been the case for the last three seasons. According to TeleMadrid and MD, Atletico Madrid is one of the teams that has shown a surprising interest in him. There have been some links between Ceballos and Atletico during the season, but they appear to be quickly fading. It remains to be seen whether he would be open to a move. Of course, Atletico lacks a midfielder who is comfortable on the ball in limited spaces and can improve the team's play. It is for this reason that captain Koke Resurreccion has played so much this season, being one of Diego Simeone's most used players, although injuries to Johnny Cardoso and Pablo Barrios also influenced the decision. Of the names mentioned, Ceballos probably has the most similarities to Koke in terms of his ability to control the ball. However, whether Ceballos is willing to do the defensive work Simeone demands is another matter. Despite being an attractive offer as a free agent, it would be a surprise if Ceballos joined Atletico.