Real Madrid started the win over Atalanta without Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, but it was not Luka Modric who came into midfield, but Dani Ceballos. The 28-year-old has made a series of appearances in recent weeks.
Ceballos was a target for Real Betis this summer and that would be the case again in January, with Los Blancos willing to let him leave for €15 million. There were doubts about whether they could raise that money, but now no bid they submit in January seems to be good enough.
After starting four of their last five games and performing well against Leganes, Getafe and Atalanta, Relevo says Los Blancos have taken him off the market. They will not let Ceballos leave in January due to his increased role, with good performances against Leganes, Getafe and Atalanta having seen him move ahead of Modric in the pecking order. Carlo Ancelotti now sees him as the closest thing to an 'organizing midfielder', someone who can read the center of the pitch and direct things.
Ancelotti praised Ceballos after his performance against Atalanta, and he certainly played a key role in troubling the Italian side without the ball and keeping the ball for Los Blancos. Last season saw Ceballos' role decrease dramatically due to increased playing time for Eduardo Camavinga, but with Toni Kroos gone and Modric currently unable to repeat his form from previous seasons, Ceballos' skillset is becoming increasingly unique in their squad.
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