EPL giants Arsenal set to extend star midfielder's stay at the club

EPL giants Arsenal are set to extend the loan deal of midfielder Dani Ceballos till the end of the season, suggest reports.

Ceballos' loan deal was set to expire within the next two weeks. However, with the EPL extended due to the enforced break of three months, the Spanish midfielder looks set to finish the season with the Gunners.

Dani Ceballos looks set to continue his spell in the EPL

A sight of relief for the EPL side

Arsenal did not have an auspicious beginning to their post-break campaign. They lost miserably to Manchester City, with centre-back David Luiz's disastrous performance grabbing the headlines.

Arsenal have confirmed that centre-back Pablo Mari will miss the rest of the season. With Luiz's contract set to expire as well, Arsenal are lacking numbers defensively. If they can get Ceballos to stay, it will provide some relief to manager Mikel Arteta.

Dani Ceballos has made it clear that he wants to leave Arsenal & ‘he wants to play in Spain’ next season, with Valencia still keen on signing him. [@Sport_Witness via Marca] #afc pic.twitter.com/wsLQVxycf4

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 18, 2020

Ceballos' loan deal was lauded by many when it was announced. However, after a good initial impression, the 23-year old found himself on the bench under former manager Unai Emery. Arteta's arrival coincided with Ceballos being injured. Although he has looked good when he has played for the EPL side, it looks unlikely that the Ceballos deal will be made permanent by Arsenal.

It has been reported that parent club Real Madrid would be happy to sell the Spanish international this summer. Ceballos joined Los Blancos 2017 from Real Betis for a fee of €18 million. Real Madrid beat arch-rivals Barcelona to his signature.

Ceballos though was utilized as a squad player under manager Zinedine Zidane. He made 56 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists in two seasons. This led him to go to the EPL and join Arsenal on loan.

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Ceballos has played 24 games for the EPL giants in all competitions so far. Having been used in multiple midfield positions, he has scored one goal and provided 2 assists.

He ranks second in the Arsenal squad for tackles per game, with 1.9. He manages 1 key pass per game, the 3rd highest in the squad. He is also a good dribbler, registering 1.1 dribbles per game.

I don't think I have looked at Ceballos' stats in 2020. He's played a bunch of weird roles for a dysfunctional Arsenal this season, but the output has been outstanding. pic.twitter.com/FeYgrlLAMe

— Ted Knutson (@mixedknuts) June 15, 2020

The Spaniard has been linked with moves to Spanish clubs in the media. With Real Madrid willing to let him go, Valencia and his former club Real Betis are said to be interested. With Arsenal unlikely to try and buy him, a move back to Spain looks possible. It has been suggested that Ceballos could be used in a deal to bring Valencia winger Ferran Torres to Real Madrid.

Ceballos was loaned to the EPL after being a squad player at Madrid

If Ceballos had moved to a more stable EPL club, perhaps it would have turned out different. A dysfunctional Arsenal side has not done Ceballos' stay any favours. The EPL side prefer using the likes of Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi in their midfield, which means that the Spaniard is often on the bench.

A return to Spain was mooted in January as Ceballos wanted more game time so that he had a chance to be part of the Euros. Real Madrid rejected this move and the EPL club were keen to have him on board.

Ceballos's EPL spell looks set to continue for the time being.

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