The impossible for Ceballos and Betis: a soap opera that repeats itself one more summer

Dani Ceballos opened the door to Betis once again this summer . The player arrived at the Santa Justa station this week and, when asked by reporters, he welcomed the Betis team. His dream is to return to the Benito Villamarín .

The Sevillian burst onto the scene at Betis in 2014, during a dark period for the club. Betis was trudging through the Second Division in search of a long-awaited promotion, and Ceballos became one of the team's mainstays under Pepe Mel's tutelage from the bench .

His performance improved over the years until he left for Real Madrid in 2017 after finishing runner-up in the Under-21 European Championship and winning the championship's MVP award . That decision didn't please the Betis team, who still boo him every time he returns to play there years later.

Ceballos, however, barely played a role at Madrid . His move to the Premier League on loan (two years at Arsenal) also didn't help him gain more playing time, and he remained in the same situation he was in.

The years of contract

The most anticipated opportunity came in the summer of 2023. Ceballos' contract with Real Madrid was ending, and Betis were rubbing their hands together: they were waiting for him with open arms and confident that this would be the definitive opportunity . However, he renewed his contract and still has two years left on his Real Madrid player.

Ceballos's renewal didn't stop him from reactivating the deal last summer. Joaquín stated that he was "ready to negotiate with Florentino" regarding his possible signing. But Betis's financial situation, combined with other priorities (Lo Celso), made the deal unviable.

Reality with Xabi Alonso

Toni Kroos's departure was the perfect incentive for him to gain continuity this season, but even then, he failed. In the final stretch, however, he took on a more prominent role under Ancelotti . A situation that has changed with the arrival of Xabi Alonso.

It's time to wait and see what the outcome is. Ceballos is confident that Real Madrid and Betis will come closer to a return home , although the deal seems complicated. Given what we've seen, no scenario can be ruled out.