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The £16m player Mikel Arteta begged Arsenal to sign who could now end the Gunners’ season

Although Arsenal retain a very slim hope of catching Liverpool in the Premier League, their season now predominantly hinges on their Champions League campaign.

Unfortunately, Arsenal will have to face the competitioꦫn’s holders in two l🗹egs once club football returns.

Mikel Arteta’s side are set to face Real Madrid 💦for the first time since 2006 – a Champions League knockout tie that was decided by Thierry Henry’s brilliance.

Fast-forward to today and Arsenal will be attempting to dethroꦦne Carlo Ancelotti’s Galaticos without a striker, a tall task indeed.

That being said, there is a player in Real’s ranks that knows all about life at Arsenal under Arteta, midfielder Dani Ceballos.

Dani Ceballos could come back to haunt Arsenal with Real Madrid

Startin🃏g in 2019 under Unai Emery, Ceballos went on to enjoy two loan spells at the Emirates Stadium, ones which arguably helped fuel the success he’s enjoying with Rea꧂l today.

Ceballos cost Real in 2017 and after lꦡeaving Arsenal for gooﷺd in 2021 he then went on to sign a contract extension with the Spanish giants, and he’ll no doubt play a sizable role in next month’s knockout tie between the two sides.

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

READ MORE: Arsenal legend whoಞ won five trophies under Arsene Wenger admit🦂s he regrets not signing for Man United

Ceballos has played eight times for Ancelotti in the Champions L💦eague this seas🥂on, even if he was unfortunately injured for their two legs against Atletico Madrid. 

The 28-year-old started both legs against Manchester City in the round prior and he’ll be looking to foil another English club’s chances ꦦof winning the 𒐪competition at the start of April.

Interestingly, Ceballos claimed he wanted to leave Arsenal immediately after joining the club in the past having witnessed the physicality of Premier League football – but he’ll surely now be ready for every inch of next month’🌱🍌s battle.

Mikel Arteta was desperate to bring Dani Ceballos back to Arsenal

It seems fair to conc🅰lude that Arteta will definitely have one eye on Ceballos when Arsenal face Real next month.

According to , who shared this info back in 2020 – Arteta was seriously concerned that Arsenal might fumble a deal to bring Ceballos back on loan for a second seas𒊎on﷽.

Therefore, in a bid to secure the Spaniard, Arteta personally intervened and convinced Arsenal’s board to agree to Madrid’s terms for another loaཧn.

🐽Ceballos had just been a key part of Arsenal winning the FA Cup in Arteta’s first season a𒉰t the club at the time.

But it wཧill now be the midfielder’s job of ending Arsenal’s chances of lifting a trophy for another season, a club who will be determined not to be remembered as ‘nearly men’.