Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos has reportedly emerged as a potential transfer target for Newcastle United.
Ceballos has been contracted to Los Blancos since making the switch from Real Betis in 2017, and he has since gone on to win a hatful of silverware.
The 27-year-old can count one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and two Champions League crowns among the trophies earned during his time at the Bernabeu.
However, the Spain international has never been any more than a squad member under the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti, the majority of his appearances coming from the bench.
Just 39 of his 141 outings have come from starting lineups in La Liga, just one of those starts being handed to him during the 2023-24 campaign.
More recently, Ceballos has been provided with three brief substitute outings since the beginning of February, highlighting that he is not relied upon by Ancelotti.
With Ceballos agreeing to a long-term contract extension last summer, he is now tied to Real until 2027, and the powers-that-be at the Spanish giants may be content to keep him as a low-cost squad option.
On the flip side, though, there is potential for Ceballos to generate a transfer fee at a time when Real are expected to hand Kylian Mbappe a lucrative contract and are in the market for a new left-back.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle have emerged as a potential destination for Ceballos in the summer.
The Magpies have been blighted by issues in the engine room all season, not helped by Sandro Tonali's suspension for breaching gambling regulations and Joelinton missing the second half of the campaign through injury.
Both situations could change, yet Tonali has recently been charged by the Football Association for breaking rules since his arrival on Tyneside, while Joelinton will likely be sold unless he extends his contract past 2025.
As a result, the report says that the British media have indicated that Newcastle could try to engineer a deal for Ceballos before the start of next season.
Ceballos has already experienced two years of Premier League football at Arsenal between 2019 and 2021, making 49 appearances in the top flight during that time.
While no potential transfer fee is mentioned, Newcastle would hope to sign Ceballos for less than the €18m that Real paid Betis seven years ago as they continue to battle to meet the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability regulations.
