Arsenal have, of course, signed Dani Ceballos on loan but why are Real Madrid so against a purchase option?

If all goes well for Dani Ceballos, it will be Real Madrid who will benefit in the long-term. That’s not a major concern for Arsenal, but with reports that the club are paying up to a whopping €17m for one season, Arsenal clearly couldn’t afford a permanent deal at present anyway.

According to Zinedine Zidane, there is no problem between him and the player, contrary to reports. He just wants him to get more game time and he’s not willing to make space for him in the Real Madrid team.

El Confidencial write that, “The Spaniard has given all kinds of facilities to get away from Zidane for a season and to find a team and a coach who values ​​his qualities and makes him play regularly. Ceballos leaves Real Madrid for Arsenal, but it will be for a limited time. A season on loan to Arsenal will be worth it as a springboard to show if Zidane has wasted the talent of a footballer with more creativity than muscle.”

Backing that up, Ceballos spoke about the importance of having the faith of Unai Emery and it was indeed the Spanish coach who convinced him to ditch Spurs for N5.

El Confidencial continue, “The president [of Real Madrid] does not want to lose a player who shows up when they give him opportunities….He confidently displays his creativity and has something that all teams need: goals. He made some beautiful passes and showed himself as an imbalancing player, with strong personality and leadership. All these virtues Real Madrid cannot miss because Zidane does not fit in a boy who will turn 23 on August 7.”

It’s clear that, despite the misgivings Zidane obviously has, the player is highly regarded at the club.

Will Zidane still be there next summer? If he is, Arsenal may well have the chance to turn this deal into a permanent one.

The risk, however, is that Ceballos shows exactly why Real Madrid signed him in the first place which will be great for Arsenal in their Champions League race but will, ultimately, cost them the player in the long run.