The Athletic’s Jon Mackenzie has urged Everton to bring in Real Madrid outcast Dani Ceballos this summer, as he offers something the club have been missing over the past couple of seasons.
Everton have struggled to sign any players so far this window, having only brought in James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil so far, but they need to bring in some reinforcements in the attacking areas after losing Richarlison and amid rumours of a possible Dominic Calvert-Lewin departure.
Mackenzie has suggested the Toffees should look at bringing in Los Blancos outcast and former Arsenal loanee Ceballos this summer in order to bolster their midfield options, and bring in someone creative in a position where they lack that kind of player.
Having also explored the idea of luring Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Goodison Park, Mackenzie wrote for Tifo: “Loftus-Cheek offers a profile that Everton already have in their squad – even if he would be an upgrade on those options.
“So instead, our pick is a player who can offer a little more in terms of creative passing: Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos. Ceballos is also a player who offers a lot in terms of possession. Rather than doing this through carrying, though, he does it through passing.
“The 25-year-old is a deep-lying player who’s played in a two-man pivot in the past. From these deeper areas, he’s able to co-ordinate ball progression through his passing. On top of this, Ceballos can offer something that Everton have been missing over the past couple of seasons – a creative outlet in the final third.
“Importantly, the Spaniard already has Premier League experience, joining Arsenal on loan for two seasons between 2019 and 2021. During that time, he offered good protection, putting up 3.5 box entries per 90 in both seasons and hitting 0.14 expected assists in his second season at the Emirates.
“Ceballos would be a feasible option for Everton, too. He’s on a 2023 contract, and he picked up fewer than 300 league minutes last season for Real Madrid.”
TIF Thoughts on Ceballos to Everton…
Ceballos may have become surplus to requirements at Madrid after the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni and should maybe now look for a move away to guarantee some more playing time.
Last season, he only managed 11 appearances in La Liga and failed to register a goal or assist, but he did manage 0.9 shots per game, which ranks the same as Everton key man Alex Iwobi and more than the likes of Dele Alli and Allan, who play in his position.
The 25-year-old also boasts an impressive passing success rate of 91.9%, which would rank first for the Toffees for players who played over five games last season.
It is currently unknown how much Everton would need to part with to obtain Ceballos’ services, but with Madrid’s valuation of him last summer standing at £34m, they will perhaps need that price to come down significantly if they are to bring him in considering their financial problems.
Despite this, he could be worth a punt as he already has Premier League experience and we feel he would be an upgrade on the likes of Alli, at least.
Would you take Ceballos at Everton?
Yes
No
