It seemed like Real Madrid wanted to sell Dani Ceballos to Arsenal, but fans of the center midfielder will like this outcome more.
Real Madrid have some of the most talented young players in world football, and, at 23, Dani Ceballos is on the verge of becoming something more.
The former Real Betis man had a rough patch on loan at Arsenal in 2019-2020, but by the end of the season, he established himself as one of the team’s most important players. Ceballos could be ready to take another step forward next season, too, and it sounds like he will do it at the North London club.
According to a report from Gary Jacob of The Times, Ceballos is “close” to extending his loan spell with Arsenal. This report comes after it was stated that Real Madrid wanted to make cash and sell the player permanently.
But Arsenal don’t have to part ways with money in this difficult economy and get to keep the star midfielder for at least one more year. From there, they can make the decision to buy Ceballos permanently, or Real Madrid could take him back. By then, Real will have a better idea of the midfielder’s readiness and ability to contribute at the Santiago Bernabeu, though they already have Real Sociedad man Martin Odegaard lined up as Luka Modric’s replacement.
Per WhoScored.com, Ceballos completed nearly 88 percent of his passes with two assists in the Premier League, averaging more than a key pass per game and dribble completed per game with 1.5 fouls drawn per game.
He proved to be even better in a deeper midfielder role, providing great defending and endless running in addition to his creative abilities as a passer and dribbler. Down the stretch of the regular season, the former Real Betis standout flourished as Arsenal’s best midfielder.
Here’s to hoping the 23-year-old has another stellar season at the Emirates Stadium, if he does indeed sign another loan agreement with the Premier League side.