Arsenal lining up replacement for Ceballos

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta really likes Dani Ceballos. The Spanish international, a Champions League and World Cup winner is in his second season with the Gunners, both on loan from Real Madrid. The Galacticos boss Zinedine Zidane doesn’t want to sell the player, but he already sent him to London, for the second year in a row. If Arteta doesn’t get him for the third time, he already has another option. And it’s the player he already looked last season.

Nabil Fekir is a Real Betis midfielder who has a very good season so far. The French international has played in 25 games, scoring three goals and adding six more assists. He was already considered by Arteta, and it was in last August when Ceballos loan was questionable. And when the Spaniard eventually came, the interest for Fekir has cooled down. But now, the Gunners coach is „sniffing“ around the player again. In case Ceballos doesn’t come next season, Fekir would be the first option, but as always, it’s the question of money: for how much?

Fekir was signed from Lyon in 2019 for 22 million euros, and his contract runs out in 2023. He has just signed for the new agency, who represents, among others, Eric Bailly from Manchester United and Adama Traore from Wolves, but the release clause would still be a problem: it’s 92 million….

Arteta is also aware that Zinedine Zidane might be sacked if he doesn’t win anything with Real this season (which is quite possible), and a new boss might want to sell Ceballos, or he might even consider him a first-team player and refuses another loan. On the other hand, Fekir is anxious to play in England since he was very close to doing so in 2018. Liverpool was interested back then, and the fee was set at 61 million, but the agreement failed and he stayed in Lyon for another year before moving to Real Betis.