Following that disappointment, Villa could turn their attention to Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. That is according to talkSPORT, who noted that the former Arsenal loanee was an unused substitute in Madrid’s shock Copa del Rey loss to second-tier side Albacete on Wednesday.
To that end, Spanish football expert Terry Gibson told the publication, “There has been talk today in Spain that he is heading to Aston Villa so that’s the reason he didn’t get on last night. Aston Villa, having missed out on Conor Gallagher, the talk is that Dani Ceballos is the other choice.”
Ceballos previously played under Emery back when he was in charge at Arsenal, with the experienced player revealing that the Spanish coach is a big fan of his.
He previously said, “I went to play at a club like Arsenal because, apart from its stature as a big club, Unai practically came to my house to tell me that he loved me as a player, that he’s been in love with me since I played for Real Betis. The confidence of a coach is key to giving your best performance. Unai told me that I would be important with him at Arsenal, and I didn’t have any doubts about going there.”