Real Betis Balompié concluded the summer transfer window with two main moves: the arrival of Dani Ceballos and the departure of Pablo García. The deadline day activity was reported live by ABC Deportes on Tuesday, revealing limited movement in the final hours.
The Verdiblancos confirmed the signing of Dani Ceballos, who put pen to paper on a contract running until June 2028. The midfielder returns to the club where he was developed and expressed his confidence in the project. "Confío en ti, Dios," Ceballos said on his social media after his return was made official. This operation was completed smoothly and represents a quality addition to Betis's midfield.
What happened with Pablo García?
The other notable operation was the sale of Pablo García to Racing de Santander. The transfer was closed for a fee exceeding 5 million euros in exchange for 50% of the player's rights. The young talent signed with the Cantabrian club on a contract that will keep him there until 2030. This departure generates significant income for Betis's coffers and opens up space in a squad that currently has 25 registered players.
Real Betis attempted to place several players at other La Liga clubs through loan deals. They offered both Álvaro Fidalgo and Pablo García himself on loan before his permanent sale was finalized. However, not all expected moves materialized. The club failed to finalize the departures of Iker Losada and Álvaro Fidalgo, who remain with the squad pending official registration.
Which reinforcements did not arrive?
The Betis board could not fulfill a specific request from manager Manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean coach had asked for the signing of a defensive midfielder, a holding player that did not arrive before the window closed. The signings of Marc Casadó or any player to cover squad departures also failed to materialize. Javier Gómez, an analyst for the outlet, commented on the situation: "Lo esencial ya lo tienen."
The only other completed outgoing move besides Pablo García's was the loan of Gonzalo Petit to Cádiz CF. The player leaves on loan until the end of the season and features on the team's current injury list, alongside Aitor Ruibal, Diego Conde and Giovani Lo Celso. You can check the full squad status on our injuries page.
How does this affect the season?
Betis faces the remainder of the campaign with a 25-player squad, though not all registrations are officially complete. The team sits seventh in La Liga with 6 points from three matchdays, with a record of two wins and one loss. They have scored 4 goals and conceded 5, giving them a -1 goal difference. They trail leaders Barcelona by 3 points.
The next challenge will be a demanding one. Betis will host Real Madrid at the Benito Villamarín this Friday, September 4th. Los Blancos occupy second place in the table, making the match a clash between top-half teams. The full season schedule is available in our fixtures section.
The current squad, which you can review in detail on our squad page, will have to adapt to the absence of the holding midfielder requested by Pellegrini. Dani Ceballos will play his first official match for Betis against Real Madrid, fulfilling a contract that extends for almost two full seasons.
