Arsenal are not expected to sign Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid at the end of his second loan spell with the club, according to a report.

The Times claim that Arsenal are ‘not expected’ to sign Dani Ceballos on a permanent deal this summer, despite having him for two seasons on loan.

Real Madrid are reportedly willing to offload the midfielder, as one of many they’re considering cashing in on to raise funds for the likes of Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland, but it doesn’t seem like Ceballos-to-Arsenal is a particularly likely move at this stage.

It’s not as though Ceballos’ second season at Arsenal has been a total failure. The 24-year-old has made 31 appearances, including 17 starts, despite a couple of minor injuries in October and January.

But the Spanish international is struggling to get games ahead of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, and he’s made a few high-profile mistakes in key recent Europa League fixtures.

In turn, that’s led to doubts about whether Arsenal can rely on him when it really matters.

Martin Odegaard’s form is creating a stark contrast with Ceballos, as he’s stepping up in all the big moments lately, whether it’s the North London derby, the Europa League last-16, or a potential thrashing whilst 3-0 down to West Ham United.

I still wouldn’t write Ceballos off, nor the possibility he might still sign for Mikel Arteta permanently. But it would take a sharp upturn in form over the remainder of the campaign and a very reasonable asking price.