Ceballos says he is likely to return to Real Madrid next season
Dani Ceballos has said that he is likely to return to Real Madrid next season, according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER via football.london.
The 24-year-old first joined Arsenal on a season-long loan in the summer of 2019. After a disappointing first half of the season due to injury concerns and a lack of form, he became one of Arsenal’s most important players in the second half of the season and was an integral part of the team as they went on their FA Cup run that ended with them lifting the trophy.
He extended his loan spell at Arsenal and is currently spending his second season at the club. He has two and a half years remaining on his contract with Real Madrid and has made it clear that he dreams of being a successful part of the Spanish champions. He said:
“My goal one day is to return to Real Madrid and be important in the best club in the world.”
He also made it clear that he would like to return to boyhood club Real Betis at some point in his career as he still has affection for the Spanish club’s fanbase.
Ceballos’ upturn in form at Arsenal coincided with the arrival of manager Mikel Arteta with whom he has forged a strong relationship. The Gunners boss was the driving factor behind the deal to bring the Spanish midfielder back to the club for a second season on loan. On Arteta, Ceballos said:
“Mikel is a coach who suits me like a glove because he played in the same position as me. He wants us to play forward when we steal [the ball].”
The Spaniard has spent over a year in England and feels that while it is physically more demanding than the Spanish league, it is tactically inferior. He said:
“The Premier League is a bit below at a tactical level but it is more physical. The position of 8 is the one that suits me best.”
The North London club have won three games in a row in the Premier League for the first time this season and are in the process of moving up the table after a poor start to the campaign. The Gunners’ poor results led to questions being asked about Arteta’s future at the club. On the difficult start to the season, Ceballos said:
“We started to get into bad dynamics and when a team has a priority to fight for Europe it is difficult to get out. We have chained three victories and hopefully we will go up [on the table].”
England has seen the number of coronavirus cases shoot up in recent weeks and they have entered a new lockdown. The 24-year-old admitted to finding the situation troubling. He said:
“The situation here is not the best. We are at home living almost in a bubble and we are lucky to make a living from our work.”
