It wasn’t long ago that Dani Ceballos’ loan stint at Arsenal appeared to be heading towards a disappointing conclusion.
Having started in such breathtaking style back in August when he had the entire Emirates crowd on their feet after a scintillating home debut against Burnley, the Spaniard had struggled to maintain consistency.
There were flashes of quality but as the weeks went on, Ceballos found starts difficult to come by and was unable to nail down a position of his own in north London.
Used sparingly by Unai Emery, who had fought so hard to sign him in the summer from Real Madrid, the 23-year-old had the look of a luxury player about him, one who might not be able to adjust to the English game.
And then when a hamstring injury sustained in the Europa League draw at Vitoria in November saw him sidelined for several weeks, doubts started to be raised about his future.
As the January transfer window approached, Ceballos gave serious thought to cutting his loan spell short and returning to Spain, but Arsenal were far from keen given how difficult it would be to find a replacement.
By now Emery had been replaced by Mikel Arteta, who had publicly challenged his compatriot to show him he warranted a place in the side.
“I had a conversation with Dani,” said Arteta in November. “When I joined the club he wasn’t here. He was in Madrid because he was doing his rehab for over a month with the team that owns him.
“I know him really well from Spain. I watched him many, many times. He always wants the ball, he has big personality to play. I like him.
“He is getting much closer to the fitness levels that I expect from him to be competing with his team-mates. He needs to get back to fitness and fight for his place like any other player.
“But he is a player that can fit our style and now he needs to make a step forward and make things difficult for me and my selection.”
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