Wolves are losing Ruben Neves, but there will be no Dani Ceballos coming in to replace him this summer.
Neves is about to be announced by Al Hilal, who agreed a £47 million transfer fee with Wolves on Sunday.
The midfielder is taking up a new challenge, and it is one that has drawn a lot of criticism.
Neves will be paid a huge salary by the Saudi club. Some don’t blame him one bit, but others think he is selling his soul.
For Wolves it’s a great deal, since he only had a year left on his contract.
But Neves leaves behind a massive hole. He was the club’s best player, and he will be incredibly difficult to replace.
One man who will not be coming in this summer to try and do that is Ceballos.
Dani Ceballos set to sign new contract with Real Madrid after being linked with Wolves
Earlier this year, it was reported that Ceballos was a potential option for Wolves this summer.
Julen Lopetegui was said to be keen to bring him in, having obviously worked with him at the Bernabeu and also the Spanish national team.
And Ceballos was actually on Wolves’ radar long before Loeptegui came on the scene.
But now, the super-reliable Fabrizio Romano has reported that Ceballos will be signing a new contract at Real Madrid this week.
The decision was apparently made last week, and an announcement should arrive soon.
Ceballos had previously spoken about having contact with some other clubs. But he’ll now prolong his stay at the Bernabeu.
Dani Ceballos would have a made a good Ruben Neves replacement
So Ceballos will continue his spell at Real Madrid – and that’s a bit of a shame for Wolves.
Wolves are losing an amazing passer of the ball in Neves, and could really do with someone who knows how to pick a man out.
Ceballos has a brilliant range, and occupies similar positions on the pitch to Neves.
In the last couple of months of 2022/23 season he was coming in for a lot of praise from the Real fans for his performances.
He would have made a great addition for Wolves, especially on what would have been a free transfer.