The playing time has dropped sharply, and the midfield is fiercely competitive! The former favorite player An Shuai may bid farewell to Bernabeu

Although Real Madrid legendary midfielder Modric is about to leave the team, this does not seem to change Dani Sebalos's marginal situation at the Bernabeu. The Spanish midfielder publicly expressed his deep feelings for his old club Real Betis in an interview recently, strongly hinting at the possibility of a transfer this summer.

28-year-old Ceballos has two years left on his contract with Real Madrid. During Ancelotti's coaching period, he was an important rotation and substitute. However, in the just-concluded Club World Cup, coach Xavi Alonso gave him only four chances to play as a substitute, with a cumulative time of only 70 minutes. This limited playing time clearly indicates that if he continues to stay at Real Madrid, his prospects will become increasingly difficult.

Cros' retirement last summer did not substantially open the door to opportunity for Sebalos; Modric's departure is also difficult to change the situation. Bellingham, Valverde, Camavenga, Chuameni and rising star Gulaire constitute the "five mountains" of Real Madrid's midfielder, and Celeros's pick is already behind.

Cebalus made his mark at Real Betis and joined Real Madrid in 2017. During this period, he also played for Arsenal on loan for two seasons. It is worth noting that Betis has performed stably in recent years, ranking among the top seven in La Liga since 2020, and even entered the Europa League final last season. In the new season (2025-26), they will compete in the UEFA Cup, and the attractiveness of the competitive level is self-evident.

"Betis is my home, always. I hope the door (returned) will always be open to me." Sebalos said emotionally on the famous Spanish football program "El Chiringuito".

Regarding his future, Sebalos revealed that the formal talks with Real Madrid have not yet begun: "We plan to discuss the future after this week. There are no meetings yet."

For Sebalos, who is in his year of playing, a stable and outstanding club season will be the key to winning the Spanish national team and competing for the 2026 World Cup. He has made 13 appearances for the Bullfighters Corps so far, 11 of which were concentrated between September 2018 and October 2020, and has not been called up by the national team since 2023. The return to Betis, who can provide stable playing time, undoubtedly helped him realize his desire to return to the national team.