Spanish playmaker decides to stay put at Arsenal

Spanish international midfielder Dani Ceballos has decided to see out his season-long loan deal with Arsenal despite lacking the playing time he seeks. 

The 23-year-old arrived at the Emirates from Real Madrid in the summer on a season-long loan deal. The purpose of the move was to play on a weekly basis to make a strong case for himself when he returns to Santiago Bernabeu. 

The Spanish international certainly hit the ground running as he was one of the most impressive players for the Gunners at the start of the season. 

But after featuring in 11 straight Premier League games, the 23-year-old was hit by an injury that sidelined him for two months. 

In those two months, a lot changed at the north London club. The Gunners parted ways with Unai Emery and brought in Mikel Arteta after a few days with Freddie Ljungberg in charge as the interim manager. 

Ceballos came back to the squad in the new year but has only made one appearance since then, against Bournemouth in the FA Cup. 

Despite a strong interest from Valencia in Spain, who were keen to bring the midfielder back to LaLiga, the Real Madrid loanee has decided to stay put to the Gunners. 

With just 18 appearances and one goal so far this campaign, new manager Mikel Arteta is set to offer Ceballos the opportunity to impress once again. 

According to the Portuguese gaffer, he has spoken with the Spanish international about his role. However, he could not confirm what place Ceballos will have in the current Gunners squad. 

Arteta said: "I had a conversation with Dani. 

"When I joined the club he wasn't here, he was in Madrid because he was doing his rehab for over a month with the team that owns him. 

"When I came here he was doing his rehab in the first two or three weeks, getting back to fitness, and I haven't seen much of him because he only trained with us for a week or ten days. 

"It's very early to assess what I can or cannot do with him. I heard about all those things but I have nothing to comment."

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