Arsenal midfielder Dani Ceballos has given the strongest indication yet that he could be returning to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The Spaniard was reacting to Hector Bellerin’s equaliser against Chelsea last night when he said he would “miss” him scoring goals with his left foot:
Dani Ceballos comments on Héctor Bellerín’s latest Instagram: “I will miss those goals with the left to the back post bro. You deserve everything good that happens to you.” #afc pic.twitter.com/JH7jXIMWti
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) 22 January 2020
Fans on Twitter believe it’s likely that Ceballos will be leaving the Emirates once his loan spell ends:
Fare Thee well?
— AFC Brightone. (@Bitcoinbrighto5) 22 January 2020
Is he leaving?
— Dolapo (@dollyfabulous) 22 January 2020
He’s always said he wants to go back to Madrid at the end of the season, so I expect this is just preempting that rather than an immediate departure
— Harry ????????? (@Harry_Currall) 22 January 2020
Can't say I'll miss him
— Makumi Wanjohi (@makumee) 22 January 2020
It’s pretty obvious by now what Arteta thinks of him.
— This One Gooner (@kayceeroy) 22 January 2020
Played one good game when the sun still was shining
— Artetaball (@blckexcellence1) 22 January 2020
Ceballos leaving….. whatttt
— ?MsFrancis? (@simonef1512) 22 January 2020
Spinballos gone in January pic.twitter.com/Jrf3gD5ecS
— Abhimeyang™ (@abhim3yang) 22 January 2020
The 23-year-old was out with a hamstring injury when Mikel Arteta was appointed head coach, and while he has returned to the matchday squad in recent weeks, he has been an unused substitute so far.
Arteta confirmed that he wasn’t happy with Ceballos’s fitness following his six-week layoff, but he is back in contention to start matches and it appears the Spanish international may well not be a first-team regular under the new regime. Whether that will change in the coming weeks, we shall see.