Real Madrid beat Barcelona for the signing of Dani Ceballos

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Madrid, July 11: Just before of the start of the next season, Real Madrid have already accomplished an upper hand over their arch-rivals Barcelona after the La Liga winners acquired the service of Spain Under 21 midfielder Dani Ceballos.

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The two Spanish giants were thoroughly linked with a move for the 21-year-old Real Betis midfielder after he suggested he will make an announcement over his future within the next fortnight before rejecting a new contract at Betis.

However, it is the Santiago Bernabeu side who have won the race for the signature of the coveted midfielder and apparently is just hours away from completing the transfer, according to Real Betis president Angel Haro.

The Los Blancos are apparently paid €18 million for the midfielder, €3 million more than the player's release clause with a six years contract which mostly shrugged off Barcelona for the acquisition.

Speaking from Betis' training camp at Montecastillo, Haro told AS: "Ceballos rejected a new contract offer from Betis.

"He has an agreement with Madrid and we are all talking at the moment. It will be resolved in the coming days or hours."

"[If] you make an offer to the player, he has a clause and another club pays that, or more, you cannot do anything," Haro said.

"It is not a failure on our part. In the coming hours we can say precisely what Real Madrid have offered. But life goes on, other players will come, and we can say that nobody is irreplaceable."

Ceballos caught the eye at the Under-21 European Championship with Spain where he won the player of the tournament despite losing the finals 1-0 against Germany.

The midfielder also endured a superb season in the La Liga last year where he completed third most take-ons and scored twice and assisted the same in 30 league appearances.

However, Ceballos' imminent arrival could now finally end James Rodriguez's time at the Bernabeu who is strongly linked with a move away from the club to several biggies like Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

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