Real Madrid transfer close after SHOCK Aston Villa bid

Tom Weber

Updated: 25 Aug 2025 17:10 BST
4 min read

Marseille are closing in on a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos amid Premier League interest in Adrien Rabiot.

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The Ligue 1 giants have had to carry out a last-minute reshuffle of their squad following an explosive dressing-room bust-up between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe after their opening day defeat to Stade Rennais two weeks ago.

The two Marseille players were involved in an 'extremely violent' physical altercation, the likes of which neither head coach Roberto de Zerbi nor president Pablo Longoria claims to have seen.

Current ETV

Adrien Rabiot

M (C)

Marseille

Adrien Rabiot

M (C)

Marseille

ETV Range

€12.7M - €15.5M

The two players were immediately removed from the club's first team and put on the transfer list. Rowe has already completed a move to Bologna, while Rabiot remains in limbo over his future.

Marseille are reportedly demanding around €15 million, and the Frenchman's unexpected availability has prompted Aston Villa, West Ham and several other clubs to submit offers for him, according to L'Equipe.

Marseille close to Ceballos transfer

Rabiot was a crucial player for Marseille last season, so it is unsurprising that recent events have forced the French outfit to dip into the market for an adequate replacement.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is a 'dream target' for OM, with talks currently taking place over a loan deal with a permanent element attached.

Meanwhile, Foot Mercato reports that Ceballos is keen on the move and that an agreement between the two clubs could already be reached later today.

Ceballos has made no secret of his desire to pursue a new challenge this summer, posting an Instagram story with the caption 'Last dance' after his cameo appearance in Real Madrid's victory over Real Oviedo on Sunday.

The former Arsenal loanee has struggled for regular minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu and now looks finally set to depart after several years of constant transfer speculation.

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