Real Madrid midfielder unlikely to join Arsenal on a permanent deal this summer

Premier League side Arsenal are unlikely to make a permanent move for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos once his loan contract concludes at the end of the current campaign, The Sun reports.

Ceballos joined the north London side on a temporary basis from Los Blancos last summer after they agreed to pay a £3.5m loan fee and meet his entire £55,000-a-week wages.

Over the course of the season, the Spaniard has been in-and-out of the starting lineup due to form and injury concerns as well as the competition for places in the centre of the park.

He has made 28 appearances for the Gunners to date, but it appears that he may only feature in a maximum of another nine games for the club before heading for the exit door.

The Gunners recently took the option to extend the loan contract of Ceballos until the season conclusion, but they have not been convinced to reward him with a permanent deal.

Zinedine Zidane’s side are prepared to part ways with Ceballos for a fee of around £30m this summer, but the Gunners don’t believe the Spaniard is worth the price based on his performances this term.

Ceballos was recently the game-changer for Mikel Arteta’s side as he scored a stoppage-time winner at Sheffield United to help the club progress to the semi-final stage of the FA Cup.

However, that was only his fourth goal or assist of the entire campaign and that comes as a disappointment, given he had bagged two assists way back during his home debut against Burnley in August.

In a recent interview with El Larguero, Ceballos acknowledged that he may not receive regular playing time under Zidane next season and he would be open to leaving the Bernabeu in the search for first-team football.

He had talked up a possible return to the Premier League, but that may not happen with the Gunners unless the club are probably offered the chance to re-sign him on loan for the second season running.

Meanwhile, former side Real Betis have been frequently linked with his services and Ceballos recently refused to rule out a comeback stating that the club made him the footballer that he is today.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com