Dani Ceballos is hinting at a return to Real Madrid after his loan spell at Arsenal, suggesting he still has a future with his parent club.

As we know, Ceballos’ future at Arsenal or Real Madrid is far from certain right now. For a start, we don’t even have assurances he’ll complete the current season. His loan contract ends in June, and he could technically return to Madrid if he so wished.

After that, Arsenal don’t have an option to buy. Any permanent stay or further loan move would take another summer of negotiations. If we’re honest, the Gunners aren’t in a very strong position to make a deal.

As for Ceballos himself, he seems content with how things are going at the moment. He hinted to the Spanish media that he’s still taking his Real Madrid contract seriously.

“I’m happy, and I am under contract with Real Madrid,” Ceballos said. “I’m still only 23; I’m not over the hill just yet. Now I feel much more of a player and I’m ready for whatever challenge comes my way.”

Ceballos’ age could easily count for or against his chances of another move to Arsenal. On the one hand, he’ll feel he still has time to take another shot at playing for Real Madrid, and if it doesn’t work out, he can just move on next summer at 24.

On the other hand, you could make the same argument about another loan move. If Ceballos spends next season with Arsenal, he’ll still have plenty of time to prove himself in Madrid afterwards. In the end, it’s going to come down to his personal preference.