Madrid continues planning its squad for next season and, after the interest in Vinícius Júnior has disappeared, it seems that Saudi Arabia is back at it. What they have in mind is to keep strengthening their domestic competition and, after having taken a player from Barcelona, now they intend to fish twice at Santiago Bernabéu.
Double interest in Madrid
"Marca" has revealed that Saudi Arabia is targeting two players from Real Madrid. One of them is a regular in the Arab market, with David Alaba once again on their radar. The Austrian's contract ends in 2026 and he has one of the highest salaries in the squad, with Florentino having opened the doors of Bernabéu to him on multiple occasions.
Meanwhile, the other is a footballer who, although has been mentioned a lot in the market, has never been linked to Saudi Arabia: Dani Ceballos. He is a regular in transfer markets, having been on Betis's radar in recent years for a return. It has never happened because Real Madrid has set a price that can't be paid in the capital of Andalusia, making his departure there impossible for now.
Decision made
The information provided by journalist José Félix Díaz didn't stop there. He was clear, indicating that both players would know exactly what to do with their respective futures.
In David Alaba's case, he is clear that he wants to fulfill the remainder of his contract at Real Madrid. In a year, it will end and the decision, as of today, is not to renew him. He has recovered from the injury he suffered during World Cup preparations and considers himself capable of turning his situation around and convincing Xabi Alonso.
Finally, focusing on Ceballos, the Andalusian is still very clear. If he leaves Santiago Bernabéu, he would only do so to return to Betis. However, the door to a possible move to Saudi Arabia isn't completely closed, as he considers it best to wait until the last days of the market to decide.
Different cases
What "Madrid-Barcelona" has learned is that, if the hypothetical case (which won't happen) occurred that both wanted to leave, it would be through different means. With David Alaba, it's enough for him to reject the last year of his contract that he has left to collect. The possibility of collecting the full amount to leave has even been put forward, but he hasn't wanted to do so.
For Dani Ceballos, the situation is different: he is valued at about €20 million. Everyone knows it and, the team that wants him, will have to pay up.