Aston Villa reportedly remain interested in Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, as Unai Emery eyes more talent from Spain this summer.
The Spaniard has already secured the signing of Pau Torres from his former club Villarreal, and could now delve back into La Liga for additional reinforcements this window.
Could Aston Villa sign Dani Ceballos?
The link between Ceballos and Villa has been ongoing since Janaury, when Marca claimed in the January window that the former Arsenal star had turned down a move to Villa Park.
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Now, the reports are back with Spanish outlet Sport speculating that the Villans are preparing an offer for the 26-year-old, who is under contract in Madrid until 2027 after just penning a new deal.
The fee is reported to be in the region of €15m (£13m), in what could potentially be a bargain move for Emery.
How good is Dani Ceballos?
Once lauded as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Spaniard knows exactly the demands of what it takes to perform in the engine room of a Premier League club.
After spending two seasons on loan in north London, the versatile midfielder obtained valuable Premier League experience, in which he made 49 appearances in the league for the Gunners.
Deployed primarily as a box-to-box player, the Real Madrid ace has the ability to play in a more advanced number 10 role, or in a deeper role due to his innate reading of the game.
Having been praised as being a “very clever player” by former Premier League sensation Robin van Persie, the 26-year-old could now unleash his talents once more in England, with Emery’s side posing a new challenge.
Emery was the force behind bringing Ceballos to the country back in 2019, in which Ceballos identified the Spaniard as being the “turning point” for him joining Arsenal.
Villa have been linked with an array of midfielders this summer and with Youri Tielemans already secured in such position, the Villans could land themselves a strong coup in the Madrid sensation.
The Spaniard has been likened to a player that the Premier League are familiar with in Enzo Fernandez, with FBref forming a comparison between the two midfielders based on their numbers obtained over the past year.
In Ceballos, Emery could bolster Villa with their answer to the £106.8m star, who has been classed as a “complete” player by scout Antonio Mango.
Comparing the two based on their respective 2022/23 campaigns makes for promising viewing from the point of view of the Midlands club, with the Spaniard excelling in traits applicable to a central midfielder when placed against the Argentine.
As per FBref, the 26-year-old averaged a dominating 11.74 progressive passes and 3.45 progressive carries per 90 in LaLiga last term, all while maintaining a pass completion rate of 90.6% per 90.
To put it into perspective, Fernandez averaged 9.77 progressive passes and 1.28 progressive carries per 90 for Chelsea, with a pass completion rate of 88.1%.
Defensively, the former Arsenal maestro put in the work too, as highlighted by his average of 2.47 tackles and 1.44 interceptions per 90 for Madrid, followed by Enzo who averaged 2.62 tackles and 0.93 interceptions per 90 for the Blues last term.
A player proven to be able to adhere to both defensive and offensive roles in midfield, Emery could sign his answer to Fernandez in a deal worth almost 10 times less than the Blues' eye-watering British-record fee for the 22-year-old.