Arsenal have confirmed the signing of midfielder Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid on a season-long loan deal.
With the Gunners struggling for transfer funds this summer, exploring the loan market was always high on Unai Emery's agenda - with Ceballos a target for a number of months.
🇪🇸 #HolaDani 👋
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 25, 2019
Welcome to The Arsenal, @DaniCeballos46 😎 pic.twitter.com/8gZLggahJZ
There was plenty of interest in Ceballos - notably from rivals Tottenham Hotspur - but Arsenal took to their official website to confirm that they had won the race for his signature.
Speaking of his signing, manager Unai Emery said in a short statement: "“We’re excited to see Dani join us. He is a talented player with big technical ability, creativity and precision.”
There had been fears that the deal could collapse at the last minute after Real winger Marco Asensio suffered a potentially serious knee injury in Wednesday's victory over the Gunners, with Emery even admitting after the game that he was uncertain whether Real would still authorise the deal.
However, even with Asensio's injury, Real have allowed Ceballos to head out on loan to gain some much-needed experience.
Last season, the 22-year-old made just 13 La Liga starts for Los Blancos, often struggling to displace Luka Modric and Toni Kroos from the starting lineup.
He enjoyed a stunning European Under-21 Championships with Spain which saw him named in the Team of the Tournament for the second time, and there were plenty of sides interested in securing a temporary deal for Ceballos.
The likes of AC Milan and West Ham United were believed to be keen, whilst Spurs also pushed to strike a deal, but Arsenal's willingness to make him a vital part of their squad has helped them get this deal over the line.
Ceballos is expected to fill the void left by Aaron Ramsey's recent departure to Juventus, with Emery looking to add some more firepower in midfield.
Source : 90min