Ancelotti thankful for Madrid star staying

Real Madrid had a fairly quiet summer transfer window, with their only signings � Kylian Mbappe and Endrick Felipe � having been wrapped up well in advance of the market opening in July. The only first team departures were Toni Kroos, Nacho Fernandez and Joselu Mato, and they all left in July too.

It meant that August was a very quiet month, aside from the last day or two. Dani Ceballos was strongly linked with a return to Real Betis, and he even handed in a transfer request to seal the move. However, Real Madrid�s valuation was not met, so the midfielder has remained in Carlo Ancelotti�s squad.

This is something that the Italian is thankful for, despite the fact that Ceballos has struggled for prominence over the last 12 months (via Diario AS).

�He is an important player for us. It is true that he has not had the minutes he wanted or deserved, but we are happy that he has stayed with us. He will be very useful for the team.�

Ceballos could get more chances in the coming weeks with Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga currently injured. On Sunday, he could even face the club he could have joined when Real Madrid host Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Once teammates with Paris Saint-Germain, the Mbapp� household will be divided when Lille host Carlo Ancelotti�s team in the UCL.

The draw for the league phase of the 2024/25 Champions League has thrown up a number of heavy-hitting ties, including Liverpool against Real Madrid, Barcelona hosting Bayern Munich and Manchester City�s visit to Juventus. However, there is also added intrigue to the current holders� trip to French club Lille, which will see an Mbapp� reunion take place.

One of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent memory - maybe ever - finally came to a conclusion this summer when Kylian Mbapp� signed for Real Madrid on a free transfer having let his contact at Paris Saint-Germain expire.

The France captain netted on his debut for Los Blancos in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta, but has so far struggled to find his best form in LaLiga, failing to score or register an assist in his opening three games in the Spanish top flight.

The 25-year-old will hope to have broken his duck by the time he makes his Champions League debut for Madrid against Stuttgart, we assume, on Tuesday, September 17, and certainly before their second clash of the league phase away to Lille on October 2.

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In that game in the north of France, Mbapp� will go head to head with younger brother Ethan, who also left PSG this summer.

Although the 17-year-old also left the Ligue 1 champions on a free transfer, the circumstances were, of course, rather different. The left-footed central midfielder made only five appearances for the Parisians in all competitions before deciding his future lay elsewhere.

Since switching to Lille, the teenager has featured in six matchday squads out of six and taken to the field on three occasions, including making his first ever Ligue 1 startin the win over Angers last weekend. That suggests he will be in contention to play at some stage when his big brother comes to visit at the start of October.