Dani Ceballos is not returning to Real Madrid anytime soon as reports indicated the Spaniard would remain with Arsenal until the end of the current season. He has vowed to earn his spot in the Gunners' first-team and win the trust of team manager Mikel Arteta.
Ceballos' change of heart came following reports he had planned to ask Arsenal to send him back to Madrid so he can play elsewhere. The midfielder has been seen on the pitch after his injury and only appeared 18 times in the season with a single score to his credit.
The lack of playing time led to the playmaker requesting the end of his loan spell at the Emirates, but it looked like Ceballos is changing the plan again. This was after a meeting with Arteta, Metro reported.
Apparently, things have been cleared out between Ceballos and Arteta. Per the same report, the former is now convinced that he'll get the playing time he demands from the Gunners and prove he can contribute to the team's campaign.
It was unclear if Ceballos was promised more exposure on the pitch, but the player has been wanting to be part of the Spanish team will take in the European Championships so more playing will boost his chance of winning a slot.
What's clear, though, is Arteta's position on the matter - that Ceballos will need to work hard and prove his worth.
"He needs to get back to fitness and fight for his place like any other teammate. And after that we will make the selection that I think is fair with what I see on the pitch," the Spanish coach was reported as saying.
And it appears that Ceballos is rising to the challenge as hinted by his latest social media post, in which the playmaker declared: "Fight until the end. Let's go Arsenal!"
Giving Ceballos the chance to shine in the games ahead might just prove beneficial for Arsenal as the 23-year-old joined the club last summer with tons of promises. The Spain international had already figured in many world competitions and was considered a rising star before he was acquired by Real Madrid.
With Real Betis, Ceballos made his mark as "a creative maestro," according to Team Talk, which likely was the chief reason that former Arsenal boss signed him up last year.
In Arsenal, Ceballos displayed promises that sparked speculations the English club will soon make his stint permanent, but injury interrupted that gradual progression.
He only returned to the pitch Monday this week when the Gunners won over Bournemouth, 2-1. Although it was a brief appearance, it seemed Ceballos rediscovered the reason to play hard and opted to work his way up to Arsenal's starting XI.
