According to respected journalist Tancredi Palmieri, Arsenal have tabled a €30 million offer to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. It was earlier believed that the Gunners would sign the Spaniard on a season-long loan deal. But it seems they are more interested in securing a permanent deal for the player. Real Madrid, however, are keen to insert a €40 million buyback clause.
Arsenal’s midfield woes
Arsenal have lacked quality in the middle of the park in recent years. Following the departure of Aaron Ramsey, the Gunners are now perceived to have one of the weakest midfield among the Premier League top six.
Granit Xhaka has been an ever-present figure at the base of the Arsenal setup. But, the Swiss international has not quite been able to replicate the performances he had shown during his time with Borussia Moenchengladbach. Lucas Torreira, meanwhile, has had a mixed debut campaign after coming in from Sampdoria last summer.
Other options include Matteo Guendouzi, who has shown promise last season. But, whether or not he will be able to take on the mantle of regular first-team football remains to be seen. As for Denis Suarez and Mohamed Elneny, both of them struggled to make an impression under Unai Emery, with the former returning to Barcelona following the end of his loan spell.
Hence, the North London giants are in desperate need of a spark in central midfield and Ceballos might be able to provide that. The Spaniard will mainly be considered as a replacement for the departed Ramsey. But, how does he stack up against the Welshman?
Is Ceballos the ideal replacement for Ramsey?
Ceballos’ style of play can be somewhat compared to the current Juventus midfielder, mostly thanks to his tenacity and energy in the middle of the park. Much like Ramsey, the Real Madrid star loves to cover ground and close down opponents with his relentless pressing.
The Spanish youth international is also an attack-minded midfielder and is more than capable of creating chances by linking up with teammates in the final third. That makes him an ideal replacement for Ramsey, at least as far as the style of play is concerned.
And that being said, Ceballos certainly lags behind when it comes to experience at the highest level of football. Besides, the 22-year-old has also endured two uneventful seasons at Real Madrid and hasn’t played a great deal either.
A lot will depend on how quickly Ceballos manages to sort his feet out in the fast-paced nature of the Premier League. But if he does so quickly, then he can be an asset for the Gunners in the coming years. Although Arsenal needs to try their best to fend off Real Madrid inserting a cheap €40 million buyback clause.
