Ceballos provides an update on his Arsenal future

The Real Madrid loanee re-joined Arsenal last summer for a second season and has now confirmed his plans for next term.

Dani Ceballos doesn’t intend to stay at Arsenal for a third campaign, having set his mind on proving himself at parent club Real Madrid for next term.

The 24-year-old is on his second loan deal with Arsenal. He briefly returned to Real Madrid last summer, but a successful first season in the Premier League convinced him to sign up for another stint in north London.

Things haven’t gone to plan for the Gunners so far. But Ceballos has remained a regular in Mikel Arteta’s squad, having started in nine of his 15 league appearances. He also made the line-up in the 4-0 win over West Brom on Saturday.

But while Arsenal’s resurgence has lifted team spirits and left them just six points outside the top-four, Ceballos doesn’t intend to stick around at the Emirates beyond the end of the season.

“A third year on loan? No, my goal is to return to Real Madrid and be important at the best club in the world,” he told Cadena SER.

“I believe that one day I will come back and be able to return the affection that the fans showed me.

“For various reasons, I didn’t leave the club in the best manner.”

The former Real Betis star, however, believes he is suited to Arteta ‘like a glove’ as the Arsenal coach once played as a midfielder himself, enabling Ceballos to play high-intensity football.