Arsenal: Dani Ceballos debate will come right down to the wire

Arsenal have to figure out what happens next with Dani Ceballos, but with the season winding down, the decision period is going to bump right into the end.

Early in the season, all anyone could talk about was how Arsenal were going to keep Dani Ceballos past the loan period. That’s all we wanted. Without even seeing him play, we knew he was the creative type of midfielder, the pivot, that we so lacked.

The comparisons to Santi Cazorla only helped exacerbate that situation and make us want him more. Hell, I know I was all in.

The Burnley match where he notched two assists and completely ran the show was just the tip of the iceberg. It was a scientific fact that we could expect that from him in every single game. Only it didn’t pan out that way, injuries got in the way, the loan was almost cut short with Denis Suarez comparisons now being drawn up, and meanwhile, we still didn’t have anyone that could do what he did.

Ceballos returned in a big way against Newcastle, sparking this team into attacking effectiveness and spurring the movement that we needed. But as he continues to find his way at the club, and find his way towards consistency, the season is also coming to a close.

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With just a few months left and Dani Ceballos needing to establish himself in those three months, the decision of if we should push to buy or not continues to waver back and forth. For a first season, he has had some moments of stardom, but more lengthy periods of anonymity.

Still, knowing what he’s capable of may prove enough to push Mikel Arteta and the head honchos into moving for a permanent move.

No doubt they will want to see more, and no doubt not all matches will look like Newcastle and Burnley. So again, is Ceballos the answer we seek in the midfield? it’s impossible to say right now. I want to believe, and being an optimistic, I will claim that he’s still acclimating and that we know what he can do, but I understand the practicality standpoint. Clearly we need someone like him, but it’s hard to invest all of that need into one inconsistency.

There isn’t a lot of time to make a decision, but there should be plenty. Don’t expect an answer until the very last minute, though.