Arsenal has finally announced the signing of Dani Ceballos. The Real Madrid midfielder will join the Gunners on a one-year loan deal for the 2019/20 campaign. There is supposedly no agreement between the two clubs for a purchase option at the end of the season.

Ceballos, just 22, has not been given a ton of minutes since his switch from Real Betis in the summer of 2017, but has certainly impressed mostly being used as a substitute. The loan deal should theoretically benefit both clubs. Arsenal will be receiving a player of quality in the middle of the pitch, while Real Madrid are hoping that Ceballos will get some valuable Premier League experience. The agreement would also benefit the player himself, as he obviously wants more time on the pitch.

As far as Arsenal are concerned, this deal is seemingly an outstanding piece of business. Not only are they adding a quality player to the squad, but it also softens the blow of losing Aaron Ramsey to Juventus. Positionally, Ceballos and Ramsey are somewhat similar midfielders. Both players can be deployed deeper in central midfield and also as a number 10 further up the pitch. Statistically speaking, Ceballos compares well to Ramsey over the last couple of seasons.

League & European play since the start of 2017/18

While this is not necessarily a permanent deal for the Spaniard, this is still a solid short-term move by the Gunners. Arsenal have plugged a hole in the middle of the pitch, while also allowing Ramsey’s potential long-term replacement, Joe Willock, extra time to develop. Willock, just 19, performed extremely well with the Arsenal U23s last season and has impressed during the club’s tour of the U.S. this summer. Although he is progressing well, a loan move for the season could be another smart decision for both the player and team.

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The Ceballos loan is also an intelligent move for financial reasons. It has been widely reported that the Gunners supposedly only have around £45 million to spend on transfers this summer. If this figure is true, the loan for Ceballos makes even more sense. Player contracts are also important when considering loan deals and Ceballos’s weekly wages are supposedly in the friendly £20k-per-week range.

Ceballos certainly checks a lot of boxes. His versatility and quality, while being an inexpensive choice, should give head coach Unai Emery some options in midfield. Ceballos is an elite distributor that can help progress the ball up the pitch due to both his passing and dribbling skills. The midfielder also gets fouled often, which will give the Gunners more set piece opportunities as well. Overall, this should be a loan deal that pleases everyone involved.