Arsenal set to unveil Spaniard as second signing; Brazilian drops hint
Arsenal are reportedly set to announce the signing of Dani Ceballos on a season-long loan from Real Madrid before the end of the week.
The Gunners, who have so far brought in just teenage striker Gabriel Martinelli, are reported by multiple Spanish sources as being on the brink of announcing the capture of Spain Under-21 midfielder Ceballos.
Both El Mundo Deportivo and AS reports that Unai Emery’s side are ‘a step away’ from completing the deal, with Ceballos opting to join Arsenal ahead of rival approaches from Tottenham and Italian giants AC Milan.
It is claimed that Madrid value central midfielder Ceballos at €50m, but have informed his suitors that the player – who is officially on holiday until 22 July – can only leave on loan after his impressive displays for Spain U21s at the recent European Championships prompted a change of heart at the LaLiga giants.
Despite having a bloated squad following an intense summer spending spree, Real are keen to keep Ceballos and believe a loan can help restore his confidence after it took something of a hammering during long phases of inactivity on the Los Blancos bench last season.
When asked about the rumours surrounding Ceballos on Arsenal’s pre-season tour, Emery said on Wednesday: “I don’t want to speak about the names but Ceballos is a very good player.”
The Gunners reportedly only have a limited budget of around £45m to spend this summer, but that has not stopped Emery from informing the Arsenal board about the need to bring in “three or four quality signings”.
And it seems the Spaniard is set to get his wish.
The reports add that Ceballos has cut short his time off to secure a move to Emirates Stadium and he could be presented as an Arsenal player before the week is out.
Ceballos joined Madrid from Betis for €16m in 2017 but has started just 17 times in La Liga and just twice in the Champions League.
Arsenal, meanwhile, could soon be set to also announce a £36m deal for exciting Brazilian forward Everton Soares; the player dropping a hint he was set to sign after following Martinelli on Instagram.
Widespread reports claim that his capture is also imminent and it’s one that should excite Arsenal fans with the player drawing favourable comparisons with Neymar.
The Gunners are also believed to nearing the capture of William Saliba, with multiple sources claiming a £26m deal for the St Etienne defender has also been agreed.
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