Finton’s Frolic: Dani Ceballos Returns - Is it Safe to Love him as much as we do?

By Daniel Finton (Deputy Editor)

What up, pimps? 

Welcome one, welcome all to the Finton’s Frolic right opinion zone. On today’s 23rd edition of this self-proclaimed spectacle to behold of a blog, we will be discussing the love between Arsenal fans and Dani Ceballos. Is it safe to love a loanee as much as us gooners do?

I’ll start by saying, I, for one, love Ceballos and always have. To be honest, Spaniards tend to be my favorite players because while some may lack a certain powerful athleticism, they make up for it in pure technical ability. The likes of David Silva and Santi Cazorla have shown just recently that while speed may be the name of the game in England, one can still survive in the pacey division with nimble feet and sublime close control.

Ceballos too has shown that athleticism isn’t necessarily mandatory. Though the Madrid loanee is not as athletic as most players in the league, he still manages to pull off, dare I say, mesmeric bits of brilliance pretty frequently. The way he holds onto the ball despite being pestered for it as soon as it arrives to his feet is indicative of a more tenacious side to his game that allows him to thrive in the less than preferred conditions for many Spanish players. When Ceballos starts to have his ankles bitten, so to say, by defenders or pesky midfielders, he seems to relish the fight and does not shy away from confrontation. Along with his hold up play comes an ability to spray passes near and far that either draw players out or catches them out.

So, in other words, he is the greatest midfielder in the world, I love him and will be naming my first child after him. 

Is it safe to have such an affinity for a loanee though? 

Well, as Stephen A Smith (An American sports broadcaster) once said: 

“I’m here to tell you right now… We don’t care.”

While it may be unsafe to love a guy who will inevitably be snapped back up by Real Madrid if his performances get too good, we can still love the player while he is a part of our project. I would venture as far as saying that it is actually pretty impossible not to like him either. I’ve seen people criticising the way he “spins like a top”, but why is that an insult when other players do that too? Players like our very own Nicolas Pepe do the same, yet they are deemed saucy.

Well, Ceballos is saucy too, and in all honesty, he is the archetypal Arsenal midfielder. His skills compiled with his tenacity and high work rate elevate him to fan favorite status and I hope that we can somehow keep him for the long run. 

It’s all fine and dandy having quality from loans, however, us Arsenal fans are hungry for permanently based talent and Ceballos should become that if it is possible. 

So the question was, is it safe to love Ceballos so much? 

As the Spanish would say, “no”. 

However, enjoy him while he is here!

That’s all for this week's Finton’s Frolic lads and lassies. The season is coming fast so lets try to enjoy it. 

Toodloo…!