Real Madrid midfielder unhappy with Xabi Alonso decision during Al-Hilal draw; club ready to sell him if he requests transfer: Reports

As per Defensa Central, Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos was unhappy with Xabi Alonso's decision to bench him in the FIFA Club World Cup game against Al-Hilal. Los Blanos were held to a 1-1 draw by the Saudi Pro League team in their opening encounter of the tournament on Wednesday, June 18.

Notably, Ceballos was the only first-team outfield player who didn't register a minute against Al-Hilal (via Madrid Xtra). While the aforementioned report outrightly claimed that Madrid are not looking to offload the Spaniard, they might consider selling him if he submits a transfer request. They will expect a fee of not less than €30 million.

Ceballos is unlikely to be a regular in Xabi Alonso's starting XI going ahead, but could play a key role as a squad player in a long season. His contract at the Bernabeu runs till June 2027.

Ceballos would be keen to impress his new manager if given the chance to feature in Real Madrid's next game against Pachuca.

"We didn’t start well" - Thibaut Courtois on Real Madrid's draw against Al-Hilal

Real Madrid CF v Al Hilal: Group H - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 - Source: Getty

Los Blancos’ No.1, Thibaut Courtois felt the failure to start well against Al-Hilal saw them fail to pick up a win. While conceding that some 'habits take time to change', Courtois lauded Madrid's tactical progress under Alonso.

In an interview, the Belgian revealed (via Madrid Universal):

"We didn’t start well, The first half was too slow. Al Hilal were sharper, but we still managed to take the lead. Unfortunately, we gave away a soft penalty, and they levelled the score. At halftime, we spoke about it and came out much better in the second half. We created chances and even had a penalty, but it just didn’t go our way."

He added:

"We’re trying to do different things, But we’ve only had four days of training after four years under a different coach. Some habits take time to change. We’ve started playing with a higher line and more intensity. You could see the difference after the break—we were more aggressive, and that’s how we want to play."

Having dropped two points in their opening game of the tournament, Real Madrid will be eager to register a victory against Pachuca. The encounter will be played at the Bank of North America stadium on Sunday, June 22.

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava