According to AS, Arsenal are set to challenge arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos. The Spanish midfielder is one of many players expected to leave the club this summer, and it is believed that the European giants have set an asking price of €50 million.
Tottenham have already held talks with Ceballos regarding a potential switch to North London. But, the report claims that Arsenal have also joined the race and are willing to meet the €50 million valuation for the player.
Ceballos’ dreadful spell at Real Madrid
Ceballos didn’t enjoy a fruitful spell at Real Madrid after joining the club two seasons ago in a €16.5 million move from Real Betis. He was often overlooked by Zinedine Zidane during his debut campaign at the Bernabeu as he ended up featuring in only 396 minutes of football in the last season.
His overall game time took a significant bump under the management of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari in the recently concluded 2018/19 season. But, even then, he could only muster 1,245 minutes of league football, and with the return of Zidane as the manager, Ceballos could once again be on the chopping block this summer.
What can Ceballos bring to the table?
Ceballos is an energetic midfielder, who can cover a lot of grounds and is well aware of his defensive chores, despite being an attack-minded midfield. While he may not be as gifted with the ball as the likes of Mesut Ozil or Luka Modric, he more than makes up for it with his work-rate.
But, at the same, time, it’s his technical quality that makes Ceballos such a highly rated midfielder. He can easily nestle through tight spaces and beat defenders with a quick drop of the shoulder. This allows him to act as a ball-carrier while his vision enables him to create chances in the final third.
Should Arsenal make a move for Ceballos?
Ceballos can be an excellent replacement for the departing Aaron Ramsey. The Spaniard has the work ethic as well as the technical prowess to fill in the shoes of the Welshman, though he needs to improve his shooting.
He can provide some much-needed competition for the likes of Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, and Matteo Guendouzi. And the fact that the 22-year-old can also feature in the wide midfield role would make it easier for Emery to accommodate him in the starting lineup.
But, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to integrate into the faster-paced nature of the Premier League. The Gunners will also need to offload some of their unwanted players if they are to afford Ceballos, whose €50 million valuation could shatter the entirety of Emery’s transfer kitty this summer.
