Why Ceballos signing at Arsenal - even on loan - is a major coup

Dani Ceballos is officially an Arsenal player. Well, for one season at least, and while a loan deal might not offer the security the Gunners fans would like, there’s no question that they will fall in love with the midfielder.

This is nothing like the disappointing loan switch for compatriot Denis Suarez after all. There was a reason why the 25-year-old had played just 17 minutes of league action last season before managing just 67 at the Emirates, and it wasn’t injury.

Unlike Suarez, who was a prospect before his Barcelona switch but consistently failed to deliver on his early promise, Ceballos is a bonafide star in the making.

The 22-year-old may have failed to nail down a regular starting berth at Real Madrid but the Spanish giants still have big hopes for Ceballos, hence why no fee has been set for Arsenal’s loan deal to be made permanent.

The midfielder - who has had to fight for a place in the side with the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Isco, to name but three - still started 13 of 23 league appearances last season after all. He’s also amassed six senior international caps since the start of last year and led Spain’s U21 squad to the European Championship title earlier in the summer, scoring twice and assisting two more. That after scooping the award for the best player at the tournament two years previous.

What was clear at both editions of the competition was that Ceballos was a unique and special talent, far superior to the majority of those playing either alongside or against him at youth level.

This isn’t a youngster signed to supplement the Gunners squad but instead a player to build this team around. He offers something that no other Arsenal player can - nor predecessor Aaron Ramsey could.

Ceballos is, after all, a nominal replacement for the departed Welshman in that he can operate as a number eight in a midfield three or behind a striker as a ten. He even played in a deeper position at former club Real Betis, acting as both ball winner and carrier.

It’s that combination of work rate and elegance in possession that is such a rare commodity in the game. Ceballos isn’t a player to stand and admire his own pass like some at the Emirates... Nor is he one to regain possession with a tackle and simply take the easy option with the ball.

His average of 2.3 tackles per 90 minutes in LaLiga last season was in excess of the figures of both Modric (1.7) and Kroos (2.1), while no teammate created more chances from open play per 90 (1.7).

Ceballos loves to get on the ball and link up play in advanced areas, and his ability to retain possession high up the pitch under pressure is another standout trait. Across two seasons of league and Champions League action in the Spanish capital, the midfielder’s pass accuracy was an astounding 93.1 per cent.

For a ball playing centre-back or deep-lying midfielder that’s exceptional. For a player that does much of his best work in the final third - only Lionel Messi (28.1) and Philippe Coutinho (25.8) completed more passes in that area of the pitch per 90 minutes in LaLiga than Ceballos (22.8) last season - it’s almost unrivalled.

While he’s had less opportunity to show it in a different role and system in Madrid, the 22-year-old’s performances in Italy this summer proved he’s still more than capable of beating a man too. Indeed, Ceballos completed five more dribbles in five U21 Euro appearances - the most at the tournament (19) - than he did in 23 LaLiga outings last season.

It was a timely reminder from a player who, in his final season in Betis, completed 3.1 dribbles per 90 at a 67.5 per cent success rate - the latter enough to rank second of the 21 players to complete at least 50 in Spain’s top-flight in 2016/17.

In summary there isn’t a great deal Ceballos can’t do and while it may only be a loan, that’s exactly what this is for Arsenal - a great deal.

He may well prove to be the club’s strongest player across two different positions and while one season likely won’t feel like enough for Gunners fans come the end of the campaign, they should savour Ceballos while they can.