The Ornacle speaks: Ceballos, Saliba to join Arsenal this week

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that Arsenal fans have been nervously waiting for some good transfer news. Since the announcement of Gabriel Martinelli nearly three weeks ago, there have been no shortage of transfer rumors for the Gunners, but very little action by the north London club.

Despite assurances by manager Unai Emery that Arsenal were going to be pursuing several more targets this transfer window, that did little to quell the frustration by fans who have been hoping for meaningful changes to get back into the top four. With the transfer window quickly coming to a close, things had begun to feel dire for the Gunners.

Today, the ever-reliable David Ornstein settled the nerves of the collective fanbase with the news that both Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos and Saint Etienne defender William Saliba are set to solidify moves to Arsenal as early as Tuesday of this week.

The Saliba transfer is a long time coming, and always felt like a matter of “when” and not “if” after weeks of negotiation saw the Gunners edge their rivals Tottenham Hotspur in pursuit of the young defender’s signature, with Saliba apparently being vocal in his desire to join the red side of London. After a month of discussions with Saint Etienne that included the decision to loan the defender back to the Ligue 1 side for a season, it seems as if the clubs have come to an agreement and merely need to put pen to paper.

Dani Ceballos, however, was much more expedited, as the first rumors only began surfacing within the last 10 days. The young central midfielder is looking to join Arsenal for a year-long loan, as Arsenal once again beat Spurs to the punch. Ceballos, who has shown a capacity to be both an attacking and defensive holding midfielder, is set to replace the departed Aaron Ramsey. The Spanish international featured for Real Madrid 13 times last season, scoring three goals, and is hoping to find more consistent minutes, which there should be plenty of.

With the void left by Ramsey, Ceballos is certain to find time ahead of the likes of Matteo Guendouzi and Mohammed Elneny while also being able to deputize for Mesut Ozil in a more advanced position. Whether his loan will include an option to buy has not yet been released, but his presence in the midfield will only improve a vitally important position for the Gunners.