Arteta wants to keep Ceballos at Arsenal

Arsenal are in talks with Real Madrid over keeping Dani Ceballos at the club, with the playmaker's loan deal due to expire soon, manager Mikel Arteta has said.

Ceballos, who joined Arsenal in July last year, missed over two months with a hamstring injury but scored in stoppage time against Sheffield United last week to send Arsenal into the FA Cup semi-finals.

"We are talking to the club," Arteta said ahead of Arsenal's Premier League game against Leicester City later on Tuesday.

"Obviously we don't own the player, he's not in our hands so the clubs will need to have a communication and see what we can do. I'm really happy with him, the way he's evolving."

Ceballos is contracted to Real until 2023 and Arteta added that Arsenal might bring in more players on loan given the financial constraints brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We have to be open to different situations," Arteta said. "I think the market will give us the opportunity to do certain (loan) deals like this but at the moment I cannot comment on that."

Arsenal are seventh in the league on 49 points, six behind fifth-placed Manchester United.

With second-placed Manchester City facing a possible European ban for breaching UEFA financial rules, fifth place would guarantee Champions League qualification unless City win an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"It's clear that it's not in our hands; the only thing we can do is win as many games as possible and see what happens with the opponent," Arteta said.