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Ever since Dani Ceballos’ head-turning debut against Burnley, Arsenal fans have been clamoring for the Spaniard’s season-long loan spell from Real Madrid to turn into a permanent stay.
It is starting to look more and more like fans will get their wish, as reports began to surface over the weekend that Ceballos had taken concrete action, supposedly meeting in private with Real Madrid leadership about solidifying a permanent move to Arsenal.
Dani Ceballos 'discusses his future with Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez with midfielder hopeful of joining Arsenal on a permanent basis' https://t.co/1oezG0OKoP pic.twitter.com/a2BO7vD33L
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) October 20, 2019
If reports are true, this wouldn’t be the first time that Ceballos had hinted toward extending his stay. In an article with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo in September, Ceballos’ glowing praise of his experiences at Arsenal seemed to hint that he would be open to a permanent move to North London.
Further, during a news conference over the international break earlier this month, Ceballos reiterated his previous sentiments, despite news outlets reporting that he was dead set in his intentions to return to Real Madrid following the transfer.
While Ceballos’ performances for Arsenal have waxed and waned, he has been one of Arsenal’s most passionate players, as he has been regularly seen celebrating his teammates’ successes, both on the field and on the bench. Fans have already embraced the midfielder, replete with a (NSFW) chant.
With more and more reports emerging that Arsenal are looking to offload beleaguered veteran Mesut Ozil, a permanent move for Ceballos would make plenty of sense. Ceballos, like Ozil, is a dynamic dribbler and excels as a creator. While not a total like-for-like replacement, Ceballos could easily slot in at Ozil’s spot as Arsenal’s number 10, or in his natural position as a number 8. Plus, his loan has already shown a quick acclimation to the Premier League, much faster than that of record signing Nicolas Pepe.
The season isn’t even close to halfway over, and who knows when this saga will be resolved. However, as it currently stands, Arsenal fans might be in for quite a treat come the summer transfer window.