Arsenal: 6 Cut-Price Transfers to Fill Dani Ceballos’ Boots

Here are 6 cheap transfer options to replace Dani Ceballos if he does not return to Arsenal.

Dani Ceballos, beloved by Arsenal players, fans, and Mikel Arteta alike, is reportedly weighing up his options for the 2020/21 season. It is rumoured that that he does not want to return to parent club Real Madrid, as he does not believe he will feature enough under Zinedine Zidane. Instead, he is weighing up two potential moves: either permanently sign for Arsenal, or move back home to Real Betis.

He had a rocky start to the year, but grew into his boots, especially after the restart. My favorite statistic to quote is that, from the 17th of June to the 1st of August, Ceballos led the team in touches, key passes, dribbles completed, tackles, interceptions, ball recoveries, and distance covered.

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The Spaniard was signed to fill the primary creative role in the team, but ended up transitioning into a archetypal number eight, tasked with massive space to cover, and equal portions of defensive and creative duties.

As a result, replacing him will be that much harder. With a war chest looted by the reportedly incumbent signing of Gabriel Magalhaes – for a reported fee of around £27m – Arsenal are going to have to get creative.

As a result, I’ve lined up two varieties of replacements, with a maximum budget of £25 million. We’ll be looking at pure box-to-box options, skilled at playing in a two or three-man midfield, and some more creative options, who would feature best as the primary creator in midfield three, or as the number ten in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Box-to-Box Midfielders

This is such a hard position to fill for any team, but for this Arsenal side it will be especially tricky. They lack creative impetus and defensive skill, but their biggest deficit comes in the speed department. One of the greatest criticisms of Ceballos was his lack of real pace, something I’m aiming to repair here.

Let’s start with a top Bundesliga prospect, who, similar to our academy graduates, has not been able to prove his full worth this season.

Exequiel Palacios – £17m

Exequiel Palacios was signed by Bayer Leverkusen from River Plate to the tune of £17m this past summer after a very impressive season in the Argentinian top flight, where he scored seven and assisted ten. Since then, he has played a whopping 433 minutes over seven appearances, with a superb zero goal contributions to his name.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Mac, why in the name of all that’s holy would we want this kid.” Well, that’s just it. The numbers in no way reflect his talent.

For starters, he’s barely touched the field under Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz, rarely even brought on as a substitute. He’s played the full 90 minutes a grand total of once in the league, earning himself the Man of the Match award in that game.

He’s completed 88% of his passes this season, and 60% of his long balls find their target. He’s an excellent regulator of possession, and is equally good at winning it back – averaging 2.5 tackles and one interception per game. He also only gives away 0.8 fouls per game, and is fouled just less than two times per game. That’s a winning combination.

The Argentinian is wasting away on the Leverkusen bench, and with no real end product to show for his efforts, Arsenal should capitalize.

Pros of Signing Palacios

He’s a very similar player to Leverkusen stalwart Charles Aranquiz. While not the tallest, nor the strongest, he’s tenacious, speedy, and composed. He operates best as a deep-lying playmaker, and combines a hard-tackling, hard-running style with an excellent range of passing. He would work very well in Mikel Arteta’s 3-4-3 setup, and as the number six or eight in a 4-3-3.

Cons of Signing Palacios

He’s relatively inexperienced in the top leagues. Success in South America is rarely proportional to success in England or Germany, and on paper, he hasn’t succeeded. He also doesn’t have Ceballos’ ball-carrying abilities out of the back. If he lives up to the hype, he’ll be an excellent all-action midfielder, but he has not shown he can replicate his homeland achievements. It’s a risk, granted.

Konrad Laimer – £23m

Another Bundesliga name not often discussed, Konrad Laimer is the beating heart of the Leipzig midfield. While not as flashy as Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku, or as well-renowned as long-time Arsenal target Marcel Sabitzer, he’s as talented or skilled as any of them.

The Austrian is literally the focal point of Germany’s most vibrant pressing scheme. RB Leipzig made it to their first ever UCL semi-final this week, primarily due to their tactical intensity. Konrad Laimer is a key cog in that machine.

Originally, Laimer was employed as a pure midfield pivot, but when former teammate Diogo Demme departed for Napoli, he took up a more defensive role. He is often the first distribution option for center-backs, akin to Ceballos, and is the key player in breaking down the press. According to the stats, he is the best passer in the entire squad while under pressure.

During spells of extended possession, Laimer uses his athleticism and speed to press higher up the pitch than his midfield partner, throttling opposition counter attacks and recycling possession. He typically operates in a two-man midfield, or as the deep-lying midfielder, flanked by two wing-backs.

Pros of Signing Laimer

He can do pretty much everything. Having trained his whole life in the RB system, he’s one of the best pressing midfielders in the world. He was among the leaders in the Bundesliga this season in number of presses, and topped the league with his success rate.

His high-intensity style will translate well into the Premier League, offering spark and drive to the Arsenal midfield. He’s tactically and positionally flexible, and works very well in a number of formations, even as they might change mid-match.

He plays best with more creative midfielders around him, but he will flourish in the Arteta system if he is allowed to lead the high press and control central areas. He also plays best on the right side of the midfield, like Ceballos. The 23-year-old is the ideal replacement for Ceballos, as soon as you remove the creative mantle from the Spaniard’s head.

Cons of Signing Laimer

He’s an amazing box-to-box midfielder, but his creativity is lacking. While he is skilled in possession, and is an incredible asset in transition, he is not the player who will provide the final ball, or a reaching pass. He doesn’t lose the ball often, but he also doesn’t take many risks, or provide individual moments of magic

Laimer basically gives us the what we saw from Ceballos during the restart, and for £10m less, but he is a poor substitute for a creative number eight. He plays like a combination of Fernandinho and Aaron Ramsey, and we’d be lucky to have him, but should not sign him to create chances for the team.

John McGinn – £18 million

Aston Villa’s Scottish dynamo would be our best option if we were looking to replace Ceballos’ dynamism and creativity in the form of a box-to-box midfielder.

He’s a hard-running, tricky-dribbling, whirling dervish of a central midfielder who is as skilled a passer as he is a tackler. While he doesn’t have as much guile as the Spaniard, he makes up for it in constant intensity at both ends of the pitch.

He’s proven himself in the Premier League, and with three goals and three assists this campaign, brought a lot to the table for a Villa side entrenched in the relegation mire all campaign.

He started in 27 of the 28 Premier League games he featured in this season, and was only substituted six times. Villa manager Dean Smith turned to him repeatedly to create chances and drive the midfield on. Oftentimes, only McGinn and Jack Grealish stood between the squad and defeat this season.

To prove that point, when McGinn was sidelined with an ankle injury, Aston Villa conceded 28 goals, more than 1/3 of the 67 goals they conceded this season. They also collected ten points from the 30 on offer, and fell from 16th to 19th in the table. In that time, they only played three teams in the top half of the table.

Pros of Signing McGinn

He’s a Premier League quality midfielder who we can likely siphon away from Villa for less than £20m. He’s the ideal box-to-box midfielder, provides another left-footed player in a team bereft of them, and is a known commodity.

He would fit well with whatever tactical system Mikel Arteta chooses to employ, and at 25, still has a lot of his career ahead of him. The time to make a step up into a higher echelon of football is now for John McGinn, and I don’t think he could say no if Arsenal came calling.

Cons of Signing McGinn

The injuries are the biggest issue. He missed ten games this season due to an ankle injury – which would’ve been far more without the league’s postponement – having played the full 90 minutes every game beforehand.

In a similar vein to Laimer, McGinn controlled the midfield, but relied on Grealish to create a majority of the chances for the team. He, like everyone else in this half of the list, covers only part of what Ceballos brings to our team.

Creative Midfielders

This bunch are going to hopefully illustrate the other side of the coin. Naturally, their defensive contributions are going to be less than your box-to-box midfielder, while their creative potential is more in line with filling the void vacated by the Spaniard. However, the players I have selected are slightly more all-action, so as to better fit the Ceballos mold.

Unfortunately, Hale End products Emile Smith-Rowe and Joe Willock have shown flashes of their individual brilliance this season, but are not fully ready to compete for the starting role on a weekly basis. They are out of the question as replacements this summer, although I’m optimistic for their contributions in the future.

Again, the price will be capped at £25m, but as creative players naturally attract more attention, this search was far more difficult.

Eberechi Eze – £16m

The 22-year-old made a name for himself at QPR this past season, scoring 14 and assisting eight from across the forward line. He played at central midfield and the number ten role most often, but occasionally drifted wide into the half-spaces, facilitating possession and creating a ludicrous amount of chances. A consummate mezzala.

He played an average of 1.8 key passes per game, totaling 82 for the season. He averaged just under a 90% passing rate, as the creative hub of a rather stolid QPR setup. He started all 46 games they played this season, ranked first in goals and second in assists, and is in the top three of every other statistical category related to attacking play. Not bad, right?

The young Nigerian is also a dead-ball specialist and, besides scoring four penalties last campaign, was the mastermind behind most of their free kicks and corner routines. He’s a threat from distance as well, featuring in the upper realms of the Championship for goals scored from outside the area.

Pros of Signing Eze

He’s got a lot of raw power and potential which is always useful. He’s certainly one for the future, but he has the physicality and guile to make it in England. He’s also such a dynamic and unpredictable player, thus he could potentially rip right through Arsenal’s creative impotence.

Eze reminds me a lot of Wilfried Zaha in the way he pops up all over the pitch and controls the creative phases. He always shows for passes with an idea in mind, and is skilled on one-on-ones both centrally and wide. In fact, he’s reminiscent of Ceballos in the U-21 Euros, which is a massive compliment.

Cons of Signing Eze

Again, reminds me a lot of Wilfried Zaha.

His workrate and attitude aren’t what they need to be in order to play for this Arsenal outfit. He’s got a serious ego to match his serious talent, getting frustrated easily when things don’t go his way. His youth can often lead to petulance, something he would have to stamp out immediately.

Furthermore, his defensive contributions also aren’t up to snuff as he tends to stay forward and expect balls played to his feet. His first touch is also occasionally clumsy, and while he’s very skilled on the ball, he has trouble retaining possession under heavy pressure.

Frankly, he’s a risky signing if we expect him to solve all of our problems, especially since fellow Premier League sides have seen bids in the region of £12m knocked back, and QPR looking to hold out for closer to £20m.

Matias Zaracho – £17m

Another South American candidate, Matias Zaracho is currently plying his trade at Racing Club, the team that spawned the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Rodrigo de Paul. Marcelo Bielsa of Leeds United is a keen admirer of the Argentinean playmaker, and sees him as a replacement for the ageing Pablo Hernandez.

Now I trust Bielsa, but I also trust my own eyes, and Zaracho has the goods. He’s agile and speedy, and is arguably better off the ball than he is on it. His football IQ is off the charts, especially when he’s darting into space or looking for the run of a teammate.

With four goals and three assists last season, his numbers may not be fantastic, but factor in 2.4 tackles per game and an 89% pass accuracy and you’re getting somewhere. The 22-year-old is stellar under pressure, and one of his greatest skills is his ability to improvise. It’s what makes him truly unpredictable.

Pros of Signing Zaracho

He’s a consummate creator, in everything he does. From the tricky touches to the perfect body movement, he has the tools to frustrate the absolute mess out of an opposition defense.

He’s very similar to Ceballos on the ball, but it’s his off-the-ball movement that is even sharper. He’s also faster and more versatile – he can be deployed on the wings if necessary – but plays best on the counter. And unlike most creative players, he isn’t afraid to bite into a challenge.

Cons of Signing Zaracho

He’ll have trouble keeping up with the Premier League from a physicality standpoint. While he’s not weak, he’s used to playing on smaller pitches against, no disrespect, inferior opponents, who he can brush off with skill instead of strength.

He’s not injury-prone, which is a bonus, but he’ll certainly have to watch his fitness. He’s also still an unproven commodity in a higher league, and as such will not be able to make the instant impact many fans would like. Still, he’s a fantastic option, and one Arsenal fans should consider.

Dominik Szoboszlai – £24m

Dominik Szoboszlai is the worst-kept secret in the world of football. Despite the fact that his name is a journalist’s – and probably even an English scholar’s – nightmare, he’s a very well-known name among those entrenched in football, and has been a constant link to most top clubs for two years now.

Arsenal, as a struggling top side, are often the front runner in the tabloids, a rumor that’s hardly discouraged by the many Arsenal fans who keep his name perennially on their lips. I myself wrote about him in a transfer piece, touting him as the perfect successor for Mesut Özil. Amazingly, he’s shown himself more versatile than I could have expected at the time, and I believe he could fit perfectly into the Ceballos role.

His £24m release clause is an Andy-Robertson-for-£8m level of bargain. His market value is currently hovering around £30-35m, and with 12 goals and 18 assists from last term, it’s easy to see why. Even if a North London move halved that tally, he would still better Ceballos’ record of two apiece.

Pros of Signing Szoboszlai

For one, he’s comfortable in central midfield, as proven by this season, where he shifted in from his position wide left to become the glue of the title-winning RB Salzburg. He’s central to just about everything to do, and it’s clear why. He’s fantastically two-footed, almost to a Cazorla-esque standard.

He’s fast, strong, tall, and his ball-striking is honestly spellbinding. He’s also a set-piece wizard, with three free-kick goals to his name this season and he combines innovation and improvisation with a steely resolve and diehard work rate. We could hardly ask for more.

While I believe his skillset and personality would both translate well into the Premier League, it’s his quiet confidence which stands out most of all. He’s not brash or loud in his celebrations, nor does he trend towards the unsportsmanlike as so many young talents do. The 19-year-old simply readies himself to work his tail off as soon as the game resumes.

And as a part of any RB team, he’s experienced in working in – and thankfully leading – a high-pressing, high-octane system. Arteta asks a lot of his midfielders, and it’s paramount that any creative force can last long enough for him to implement his hold on the game. No issues for Szoboszlai though.

I can honestly say, I’ve never seen a talent that excites me as much as Szoboszlai. Not because I haven’t seen better, but because he’s a realistic transfer who could immediately impact the club’s fortunes for quite literally a generation. You don’t find many, if any, players like that.

Cons of Signing Szoboszlai

To plainly state the obvious, he has never played outside of Austria. His move to AC Milan fell through along with the Ralf Rangnik deal, and he missed out on some serious top flight experience. There will surely be an adjustment period. It won’t be easy.

But when he does find his feet, and find them he will, the kid will be a force to be reckoned with. Wherever he ends up, remember the name.

Now, of course, the best replacement for Dani Ceballos would be…. Dani Ceballos on a permanent deal. Finances and players willing, Arsenal have the tools to make that happen. But in the unfortunate case that it doesn’t, allow this list to serve as the type of player who we might sign instead.