Arsenal: Dani Ceballos, the cheap Aaron Ramsey replacement

Arsenal reportedly want to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos on loan this summer. The midfielder would be the ideal, cheap Aaron Ramsey replacement.

As soon as Aaron Ramsey walked out the Arsenal door and headed for Juventus, Unai Emery knew he needed a central midfielder. Ramsey may have ended the season injured and not necessarily been a guaranteed starter throughout the year, but his place in the team was critical, and Emery knew it.

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Sadly, even with Ramsey in the fold, there were plenty of other problem positions, all of which still require investment this summer. With a measly £40-45 million budget, central midfield got pushed down the list, so much so that there is no money available to address it.

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Any replacement for Ramsey, then, must be a cheap one, not just a capable one. And given how all-encompassing the Welshman was, an all-action box-to-box midfielder who also scored a surprising number of goals, that is not easy. In fact, it would not be easy to find that player with £40 or £50 million to spend, nevermind having to do so with nothing in the bank. So imagine how happy Emery must be when it was understood that Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos would be available on a season-long loan.

According to AS in Spain, and as since confirmed by British-based media, Arsenal are confident that a loan deal can be completed, Ceballos keen to leave the Bernabeu in search of more playing time — Ceballos said he did not want to be sold on a permanent basis, but also does not want to remain under Zinedine Zidane for another year.

For those that are not aware of Ceballos’ abilities, he is a sensationally gifted footballer. Typically a number 10, although with the modern style of being able to play in a deeper position with a greater athleticism and mobility, he is an extremely creative and ingenious player, prodding the holes in an opposition defence with sliding through passes and clever movements off the ball.

He can also score goals, as evidenced by his superb play for the Spain under 21 national team as they won the European Championships, and is tipped as one of the hottest talents in European football, despite not being used extensively at Madrid. In the under 21 European Championships, he was joint top for assists (two), top for chances created (14), top for dribbles competed (19), top for completed final-third passes (144) and scored twice. If there is a player who can inherit the Ramsey mantle, it is him.

And on top of that, he will be very cheap. There might be a small loan fee to pay, as there often is with players of Ceballos’ calibre, and obviously Arsenal will have to stump up the wages, but that is a small price to pay for a genuine Ramsey replacement.

The only downside to this deal is that it is not a permanent one. That, though, is where Arsenal stand at present, sadly. Thus, given the many and intense restrictions, Ceballos would be quite the transfer.