In a recent interview with El Partidazo de COPE (translated by The Daily Mail), Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos provided an update on his future when he said, ‘I haven’t spoken to Real Madrid yet, but anyone who wears that shirt is happy.
‘Madrid are better than any club in the world. We’ll see about my future.
‘I’m not thinking about whether or not I can play for Real Madrid, Arsenal or another club.
‘Now it’s time to disconnect. I have to be calm and think clearly with my family about the coming year.’
Ceballos’ Up And Down Season With The Gunners
The Spanish midfielder had a loan spell of mixed emotions at Arsenal last season as he struggled to find consistency with his performances on the field. However, to his credit, Ceballos ended his season with a FA Cup winner’s medal in his trophy cabinet which will ease his concerns about his lack of end-product in the final third.
The 23-year-old registered two goals and two assists in 37 matches for the Gunners last season across all competitions, which highlight his deficiencies going forward. He has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 0.5 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game in the recently concluded Premier League campaign. He has also been quite careful when distributing the ball as evident from his pass completion rate of 87.9% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Ceballos has also secured nine senior caps for the Spanish national team, scoring one goal for his country in the process. He needs to ensure regular first-team football next season if he intends to earn a place in Luis Enrique’s squad for next summer’s UEFA European Championship finals.
What Are The Spanish Playmaker’s Best Attributes?
Ceballos can retain possession well in midfield without breaking a sweat and is an excellent dribbler with the ball in the opposition half. He has the vision to pick out a killer ball in the final third and is also not shy of getting stuck in with a few tackles at the centre of the park.
Should The Madrid Giants Cash In On Ceballos This Summer?
The Spaniard’s all-around contributions in midfield have been quite useful under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage over the past few weeks. Hence, Ceballos might fancy a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. However, Zinedine Zidane can benefit from an injection of quality to his midfield as Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are both edging closer towards the twilight years of their football careers.
The likes of James Rodriguez and Lucas Vasquez have struggled to find consistency with their performances over the past twelve months. Therefore, Los Blancos should consider retaining Ceballos’ services as he could prove to be a valuable player for them in the upcoming campaign.
He will not only add more competition for Federico Valverde, Casemiro and Isco at the Spanish capital but also improve the overall quality of Zidane’s match-day squad. All in all, the La Liga champions will be better off giving Ceballos a shot to prove his worth at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium next season.
