Over the next few days, Arsenal fans will be giving it big to Spurs supporters seeing as Dani Ceballos is set to sign for the Gunners instead of the Lilywhites, but it’s Tottenham who will truly have the last laugh in this one should all go to plan.
According to James Benge on Twitter, Football.London’s Arsenal correspondent, the Gunners are set to sign Ceballos on loan very soon, and the wording of the tweet has caused some backlash from Tottenham supporters. However, it’s key to look at the facts here.
Whilst Arsenal look set to sign Dani Ceballos on a one-year loan deal with no obligation or option to buy him, Daniel Levy is masterminding a move that will see Giovani Lo Celso sign for them on a permanent deal, which you can read all about on Football.London, with the Argentine the better player anyway.
Comparing their stats, Lo Celso starred for Real Betis last season whilst Ceballos featured intermittently in a poor Real Madrid side that underperformed massively in both Europe and La Liga. Even if Ceballos does take to the Premier League quickly, he won’t be around long enough with a one-year stay.
Looking at WhoScored’s player comparison tool, Lo Celso managed more shots, dribbles and through balls than the Real Madrid man per game, as well as coming out on top when looking at tackles and aerial duels won per 90 minutes.
It will be key for the Lilywhites to bite their tongues for now. It’s more than easy enough for the Gunners to run their mouthes after supposedly beating their rivals to a signing, but the odds are that Daniel Levy is holding out for a better deal, and isn’t prepared to get duped into a loan deal that will see the club lose out 12 months down the line.