Dani Ceballos has revealed that he wanted to leave Arsenal soon after joining the club back in the summer of 2019.
The Spanish international arrived at the Emirates Stadium initially on a one-season-long loan, with former manager Unai Emery sacked just a few months into the season. Now, Ceballos has spoken about his time in north London, admitting that he wanted to leave quickly after arriving.
Speaking on Universo Valdano, per AS, the Real Madrid midfielder said: "I came to Arsenal because Unai Emery contacted me. He came to my house and he told me that I was the ideal player for his project in his second year at Arsenal.
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"I saw the rhythm of the competition and I thought, 'I want to go back to Spain, how long is left to go back'. It is a very competitive league, very physical, and it was difficult for me to get into the rhythm, but it makes you a much better player.
"I think my time there has been fundamental in my career." Ceballos eventually agreed to stay another season with Arsenal under Mikel Arteta's stewardship, defending his compatriot when he was receiving heavy criticism back in June 2021.
"Arteta is a coach who has been with Guardiola for a few years," he told Cadena SER. "He is a coach who in a few years will be one of the best, but I would like to return to La Liga."
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