Arsenal beat Spurs to Ceballos loan transfer as Pochettino would not guarantee regular football and wanted option to buy
SPURS lost out to Arsenal in the scrap for Dani Ceballos because they wouldn’t give him assurances over guaranteed playing time. Real Madrid midfielder Ceballos, 22, is set to join the Gunners on a one-year loan deal before returning to the Bernabeu next summer. The Spanish Under-21 international opted for Arsenal despite Spurs offering him […]
SPURS lost out to Arsenal in the scrap for Dani Ceballos because they wouldn’t give him assurances over guaranteed playing time.
Real Madrid midfielder Ceballos, 22, is set to join the Gunners on a one-year loan deal before returning to the Bernabeu next summer.
The Spanish Under-21 international opted for Arsenal despite Spurs offering him the chance to play Champions League football.
But Mauricio Pochettino was not prepared to guarantee Ceballos a regular place in his starting line-up and made it clear that he would only be selected on merit.
Tottenham also wanted the possibility to sign the player on a permanent basis next year, an option which Real are not currently prepared to concede.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery is in no position to argue with Real boss Zinedine Zidane over the length of Ceballos’ stay at the Emirates.
The club’s lack of transfer funds this summer means Emery is grateful just to get the box-to-box midfielder on board as a temporary replacement for Aaron Ramsey.
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They are believed to be paying a £3million loan fee to Real and Emery says: “When we are speaking about different players who can improve the club, we only talk about how they can help our team.
“Whether they are players with long contracts or players who cannot stay here for a long time, they are all judged in the same way.
“We are only signing players if we are convinced they will bring different qualities to our squad and Ceballos is a very good player.”
Ceballos battled chronic brochitis when he was 13 and mocked Casillas' manhood
By JON BOON
DANI CEBALLOS is set for a move to Arsenal, and should add much-needed spark to the Gunners’ midfield.
But the Spanish playmaker has never been one to make friends in the game, and has caused controversy over the years on social media.
The outspoken Real Madrid star tweeted he wanted a bomb dropped on the Camp Nou to kill “Catalan and Basque dogs” before a match between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, when fans whistled during the national anthem of the 2015 Copa Del Rey final.
Pro-Franco Ceballos, 22, once aimed a dig at international stars Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas for celebrating winning Euro 2012 by draping themselves in the Catalonia colours of the Semeyra flag.
And Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas was also a target, with Ceballos mocking the size of his manhood on Twitter.
However, it wasn’t an easy start in football for the No.10 who nearly didn’t make it in the game after suffering with chronic bronchitis as a kid.