Real Madrid clinched the signing of Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos thanks to Barcelona's dithering, it has been revealed.

Marca says Real have landed Ceballos, having struck a deal with Betis over the last 24 hours.

The agreement was several months in the making, with Real having been in contact with Betis for the midfielder well before the end of last season.

In contrast, Barca only began showing concrete interest in signing Ceballos during the U21 Euros.

Moreover, during talks over Cristian Tello's move to Betis, Barca were warned of Real's interest. However, their reply was "we need time to consider it".

The hesitation was enough for Real to close a deal worth €18m - €3m more than Ceballos' buyout clause.