According to The Sun, Real Madrid are ready to table a £45 million plus Dani Ceballos bid for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen. The Danish international is one of Zinedine Zidane’s top targets as Los Blancos look to continue their spending spree this summer.
The report claims that they are ready to offload Ceballos and offer him to Spurs along with £45 million in cash to secure the services of Eriksen. The Lilywhites were reportedly linked with a move for Ceballos earlier this summer.
Dani Ceballos’ disappointing spell at Real Madrid
Ceballos joined Real Madrid in 2017 after impressing at Real Betis. But, the midfielder has understandably struggled to outshine the likes of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos since arriving at Santiago Bernabeu. In fact, he managed only 396 minutes of league football during his debut campaign at the club.
Ceballos’ overall game-time at Madrid significantly increased in the recently concluded 2018/19 campaign, largely thanks to the fallout between Isco and former Real Madrid boss Santiago Solari. As a result, the 22-year-old made 23 appearances during which he scored three goals.
But, with Zidane keen to undergo a massive squad overhaul this summer, Ceballos could be on the chopping block, and a move away from Bernabeu could make sense as he seeks to revive his career.
What can Ceballos bring to the table?
Ceballos is an energetic midfielder, who is known for his work ethic and willingness to win back possession for his team. He is not as proficient with the ball as the likes of Modric and Isco. But, his ability to disrupt the flow of the opposition with strong tackles coupled with his excellent technical quality makes him a well-round central midfielder, much like Ilkay Gundogan.
Should Tottenham accept Real Madrid’s Ceballos plus cash deal?
Ceballos will be an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur as he can provide more competition in the Spurs midfield that has struggled with injuries to key players like Eric Dier and Harry Winks this past season. But, he is no Eriksen replacement.
As mentioned earlier, the Spaniard is more of a transitional midfielder than a playmaker, and his lack of chance creation or set-piece prowess means the Lilywhites will have to scout the market for a potential Eriksen replacement even if they sign Ceballos this summer.
Hence, it’s probably wiser for Mauricio Pochettino to reject Real Madrid’s proposed player plus cash deal. But, Spurs definitely need to sort out Eriksen’s future sooner rather than later, with his contract expiring at the end of next season.
