Arsenal enter talks to sign 22-year-old playmaker from Real Madrid

Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with Real Madrid as they seek to pursue the signature of Dani Ceballos on a season-long loan agreement, a report from Goal.com has claimed.

The Gunners have experienced a quiet transfer window with just the signing of Gabriel Martinelli, but they are still understood to hold the ambition of strengthening the squad further.

With respect to this, the club have been associated with a number of players in the transfer market and Goal claims that Ceballos has now emerged as a potential option.

The same publication suggests that manager Unai Emery remains a fond admirer of the Spaniard’s talents and the Gunners have sought to land him on a temporary basis for next season.

Ceballos is generally a central midfielder by trade, but he has also featured in the attacking midfield position while occasionally slotting into the left side of the front three.

As such, he seemingly fits into Emery’s preference for midfielders with versatility, and he could emerge as a like-for-like replacement for the departed Aaron Ramsey with his strong passing ability and the tendency to find the occasional goal.

Elsewhere, the Spaniard has also been effective with the defensive contribution and tackling when played in a deeper midfield role, although he has not earned a regular run in the position at the Bernabeu, where Casemiro has been the first-choice.

With a limited budget for the summer, Ceballos would be a quality midfield addition for the short-term at the least, but it still remains to be seen whether manager Zinedine Zidane will give the go-ahead for the 22-year-old to secure regular first-team football elsewhere.