Reports: Liverpool looking to sign Real Madrid starlet

What's the story?

Liverpool is aiming to sign Real Madrid's midfielder Dani Ceballos to replace the departing Philippe Coutinho who has joined Barcelona for a record transfer fee.

In case you didn't know...

Dani Ceballos was the first winner of UEFA's new U-21 Euro Player of the Tournament award in 2017. Ceballos is currently signed with Real Madrid on a six-year deal for a transfer fee of €18 million and plays as a central midfielder for the team.

The heart of the matter

Philippe Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool in a move that costed the Catalans a transfer fee of €160 million. The departure of the Brazilian player from Liverpool has left a void in their squad.

Recently, Real Madrid's star Dani Ceballos was spotted in a hotel meeting with Liverpool's officials. According to the reports by Diario Gol, Ceballos has been tipped to discard Real Madrid for The Reds as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho.

The player is expected to move to Anfield because of lack of game time during his tenure at the Bernabéu. Ceballos has played 14 matches and scored just 2 goals in the 2017-18 season.

What's next?

Real Madrid is running 16 points behind Barcelona at the moment and the departure of Ceballos in such a situation could end up being troublesome for manager Zinedine Zidane as well as the team. Real Madrid is scheduled to play its next match against Numancia in Copa Del Rey.

While Liverpool is feeling the absence of Coutinho, it is looking forward to a quick replacement. Other picks for the Merseysiders include Thomas Lemar and Riyad Mahrez.

Author's take

Real Madrid is already on its back feet and Ceballos' exit from the Bernabéu could lead to a hard time for defending champions in the league. In such a scenario, Zidane would try his best to stop the sale of Dani Ceballos to Liverpool.