According to a recent report by Marca, Tottenham Hotspur are currently trailing Arsenal in the chase to secure the signature of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid during this summer transfer period. In an interview earlier this summer (via the Sun), the Spanish midfielder shed some light on his future ambitions and said,
“The most important thing in this life is to be happy and it is something that can only be achieved by playing 40 games a year.
“My personal goal for next season is to play 40 games, to get comfortable with myself at all times. Wherever it is, but in a place where I can feel valued.
“What I know is that I want to enjoy next year and I am open to try new experiences, I am not afraid.
“I know that next year I have a very nice challenge ahead. I would like to try new things and, above all, enjoy a lot.”
Ceballos’ recent words suggest that he would prefer to play football regularly at the highest level so that he can feel ‘valued’ at his new destination. At this moment, Spurs have too many midfielders in their squad to guarantee him a regular starting berth at North London which might pave the way for the Gunners to swoop in for his services.
Ceballos’ Lacklustre Season At The Spanish Capital
The Galacticos prospect had a mediocre campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the previous term when he failed to prove his worth in the opposition half. The ex-Real Betis starlet found the back of the net on three occasions while creating two assists in 34 matches for Los Blancos across all competitions.
The 22-year-old midfield ace has also earned six international caps for Spain and has registered one goal for them thus far. Ceballos needs to secure regular first-team football next season so that he can develop as a player. However, Tottenham are in no position to offer the Spaniard such a luxury as they already have the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Eric Dier, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Oliver Skipp in their squad.
What Will The Sevilla-Born Whizkid Add To Pochettino’s Side?
Ceballos hardly throws away possession and is an accurate distributor of the ball from midfield. He can orchestrate some decent goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates in the final third. The La Liga playmaker can also find the back of the net from long-range, but he needs to add more end-product to his game if he wants to succeed at the top level.
The Real Madrid talent prefers to play in a free-flowing, box-to-box role in midfield but is also versatile enough to assume a more advanced role in central midfield or fill in as a winger on the left flank.
Should Spurs Step Up Their Pursuit Of Ceballos?
If Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t plan to play Ceballos in his first-team regularly next season, then he should look at other targets as the Spaniard would be better suited to represent a club that offers him more game time. However, if the Argentine manager keeps an open mind about Ceballos, then it makes sense for Tottenham to step up their chase for the Galacticos midfielder as they could easily blow Arsenal out of the race (with the lure of UEFA Champions League football) if they are serious about making the transfer in this off-season.
