At the end of a frantic La Liga transfer window it seems Dani Ceballos remains a Real Madrid player after his proposed deal to move to Real Betis didn’t make the deadline.
The 28-year-old utility man made his name at Betis before moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2017 and in the meantime he has spent a couple of seasons on loan at Arsenal; but more recently Ceballos has become a key member of Carlo Ancelotti’s Ream Madrid set-up.
The big La Liga news this summer was the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in Madrid after his long awaited move from Paris Saint-Germain and then the transfer of striker Julian Alvarez from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid. But deadline day was a little quieter and all eyes were on Ceballos to see if his planned move to Andalusia could get over the line.
The player and buying club agreed personal terms on a three year deal and he was seen to be a natural replacement for winger Nabil Fekir, who has hot-footed it off to Al Jazira in the UAE Pro League. Los Blancos boss Ancelotti was bracing himself for a late exit but he did everything in his power to keep Ceballos at the club and his efforts seem to have worked.
The valuation of 20m Euros attracted wide interest across Europe but Betis were at the front of the queue and, as the hours ticked by on Friday night, the Andalusians were still hopeful of getting their man. Betis face Los Blancos this weekend, a game we previewed here at SBOTOP and it will be interesting to see if Ceballos makes an appearance. The latest La Liga 2024 betting odds make Real Madrid the title favourites but with Barcelona not far behind Ancelotti will be delighted to keep his versatile star.
Haller is a Leganes player
In a surprise move right at the end of the transfer window Cote D’Ivoire striker Sebastien Haller transferred from Borussia Dortmund to CD Leganes in a one year loan deal. The Madrid minnows bounced back to the top flight in May having won the Segunda Division title and they will be hopeful of avoiding a relegation battle this time around. The deadline day transfer of Haller to the La Liga side has certainly raised a few eyebrows and he’s the type of player who can certainly make Borja Jiminez’ side more competitive among the elite.
The loan deal is set for the whole season and it came as a surprise to BVB fans who expected him to stay in Dortmund until January at least, but Leganes will give Haller more playing time than the Bundesliga side could have, with Donyell Malen, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and the newly arrived Serhou Guirassy in its forward line. At 30 years of age Haller wants minutes on the pitch and he could easily thrive in Spain. He joined Borussia Dortmund in 2022 having made a name for himself at Ajax, and he was recruited as a replacement for Erling Braut Haaland. But a diagnosis of testicular cancer put Haller’s career cruelly on hold. Thankfully he has made a full recovery and he’s ready to go again. Haller had a decent record in Dortmund, scoring 12 goals in 41 appearances and he has two years left on his contract. BVB will listen to offers next year and Leganes could become a happy home for Haller if the next few months play out as hoped for both the player and the club.
Leganes are back in the Primera Division after a four year absence and have made a good start, with two wins and a draw placing them in sixth after six games and Haller now gives them real quality to lead the line.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Dutch international Arnaut Danjuma has moved from one Europe chasing side to another, with a deadline day dash from Villarreal to last season’s surprise package, Girona. The Yellow Submarine bought the 27 year old attacking midfielder from Bournemouth in 2021, but Danjuma has failed to make an impression in Castellon and has spent the last two years on loan at Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, back in the Premier League.
Another Dutchman is without a job though after Rayo Vallecano failed to put a deal together to bring Memphis Depay to the club. The 30 year old, formerly of Manchester United and Barcelona, left Atletico Madrid at the end of last season and Vallecano were hopeful of adding him to their squad. But the buying club needed to find a home for existing striker Raul de Tomas and it seemed nobody was willing to meet their asking price.
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