Dani Ceballos – a replacement for Declan Rice?
There has been endless speculation on who we should sign as a replacement for Declan Rice. All the usual Premier league suspects have been mentioned.
But over in mainland Europe there are a two standout players the Irons really should look at as genuine possibles.
Leon Goretzka, Bayern München: While he did not have his best season in 2022/23, it wasn’t long ago he was one of the very best players in the Bundesliga, even before joining Bayern München. He helped carry Schalke to second in the league in the 2017/18 season before joining Bayern for free.
Thomas Tuchel doesn’t seem to be happy with Goretzka’s performances and may want a different player next to Joshua Kimmich. Goretzka will surely want to stay and fight, but the decision may not be his.
Dani Ceballos, Real Madrid: The best possible transfer target from LaLiga this summer is Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos. While recent indications are that the former Real Betis man will extend his stay in the Spanish capital in order to be a key role player for one of the biggest clubs in world football, that may only happen if Madrid meet his demands for minutes.
Ceballos knows he will not start every game, and the future of Madrid belongs to the quartet of Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Fede Valverde. With Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić still set to play at least one more season in Madrid, the talented Spaniard may have to fight for opportunities despite outplaying all those Madrid players since the calendar turned to 2023. He could be THE value signing of the summer if someone can coax him to leave Los Blancos.