Barcelona had contacted Real Madrid midfielder’s camp several months ago

Given the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, there has been little to no scope for player transfers happening between the two clubs in recent history.

Indeed, the last player to make the switch between the two giants of La Liga was Javier Saviola, way back in 2007, when he left Barça for Real Madrid.

But, heading into the summer transfer window this year, there had been some murmurs of a player moving from the Santiago Bernabeu to Spotify Camp Nou.

Marco Asensio, who is set to become a free agent in the summer, was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, although those rumours have died down now, with the winger likely to renew at Real Madrid.

But, it seems like Asensio was not the only Real Madrid star who was on Barça’s radars. Indeed, according to AS, the La Liga leaders had contacted the agents of midfielder Dani Ceballos through third parties several months ago over a possible transfer.

Ceballos, much like Asensio, is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, with his contract expiring on June 30. However, an extension at Real Madrid now seems likely, with the aforementioned report stating that the Merengues have called him to discuss a new deal.

Before that, though, a transfer to Barcelona could have been a possibility for the Spanish international as the report suggests that the Catalans were one of the clubs to contact his camp through third parties, the others being Bayern Munich and Valencia.

However, it never led to direct, official contact between the club and the Real Madrid midfielder’s agent.

If the Blaugrana had pursued their alleged interest in Ceballos, it could have been a controversial signing, considering the comments that the Spaniard has made against the club in the past.

Furthermore, he has been involved in a few on-field scuffles with Barcelona stars like Gavi and Robert Lewandowski recently, while the midfielder was also seen mocking the club after Real Madrid beat the Blaugrana in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg.

Nevertheless, there was no development on the transfer front beyond the contacts that were made through intermediaries.