Dani Ceballos has spent the last two seasons at Arsenal, but the Real Madrid midfielder is tired of being a loan ranger and will not be agreeing another short-term deal anywhere in 2021.
The Spain international remains tied to a contract at Santiago Bernabeu through to the summer of 2023 and is keen on adding to the 53 appearances he has made for the Blancos so far.
The last of those outings came in April 2019, with Ceballos going in search of the regular game time he craves with Premier League giants at Emirates Stadium.
What has been said?
Ceballos is now looking to stay put or make a permanent move in the next window, telling Canal Sur Radio on his future: "The Premier League is a very attractive league, I was lucky to be able to play in it last season and win the FA Cup, and this second season has helped me to consolidate myself.
"I am very happy because I have learned a lot, I have become a better player, more complete, and I think that, although my chapter has not closed as we would have liked, with another title, I am very happy with the experience.
"It is true that I have a contract with Real Madrid for the next two years and I would not like to go on loan to another club again.
"With the experience of the last two years, I am a player who needs to feel important, I would like to start next year from the beginning and feeling important, but settling down. So, it’s important going forward to know what you want to do.
"I think that a player achieves his maximum level when he is completely happy and for that he has to be 100 per cent focused on his club.
"I am 24 years old, I am a very young player, with a lot of time still ahead of me, and the truth is that my expectations are clear: to settle in a club, feel important and enjoy football."
Will Ceballos get a chance at Real?
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Ceballos is returning to Madrid in a summer of much change, with Zinedine Zidane having already walked away from his position as head coach.
A fresh start could offer a clean slate to those that have been on the fringes of the fold, such as Ceballos and his fellow Arsenal loanee Martin Odegaard.
"It is true that with Zizou I had fewer opportunities than I had thought I would, but now Madrid is without a coach," added a man looking to kick-start his Blancos career.
"We do not know what will happen in two or three weeks, there is talk of many things and I think that right now it is time to disconnect a bit from football, prepare well for what is coming and when Madrid have their next coach, let’s talk and see what we want, it will be time to decide the future."
Where could Ceballos end up?
If a move away from the Bernabeu is to be made, various landing spots have already been speculated on for Ceballos.
One of those has seen a return to Real Betis mooted for a man who made his name with the Andalusian outfit.
Quizzed on such a switch, Ceballos said: "Betis has a very good squad, I don’t know what [Manuel] Pellegrini and [Antonio] Cordon are planning for next year.
"It’s still early and I have to focus on my next goal, which is to play the Olympics now. From there, I will decide my future."
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