This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

Arsenal's chances of signing Dani Ceballos permanently next year have been boosted by Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and his current stance on the player, according to reports in Spain.

What's the word?

Ceballos, 23, is currently on a season-long loan at Arsenal after falling out of favour with the Frenchman at the Galacticos.

After scoring just three goals in 23 league appearances last season, the arrivals of both Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt and Eden Hazard from Chelsea saw Ceballos fall further down the attacking pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu.

El Pais (via Bleacher Report) have now revealed that the Madrid gaffer prefers Isco to Ceballos, saying Zidane has "no faith" in the the Gunners loanee.

It would be even more difficult for Ceballos to return to Madrid if the 13-time Champions League winners secure the likes of Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen or Ajax middle man Donny van de Beek next summer, the report says.

Get it done

Ceballos is proving to be a clever piece of business by Arsenal and they simply must sign the Spaniard next summer after the revelations from the Spanish capital.

The Gunners midfielder can bring several elements to the squad that have been missing in recent weeks, the first being a strong mindset.

Emery praised the mentality of the 23-year-old before making his debut in the season opener against Newcastle, speaking of his eagerness to train through an injury, per the Daily Mail. This type of toughness has often been lacking in north London - just ask any of the pundits who have lambasted their 'soft underbelly' down the years.

Ceballos managed to accumulate a pass success rate of 92.6% and an average of 44.1 passes per game in La Liga last season. This illustrates his composure in the middle of the park, which is certainly a good asset to have in the often frantic Premier League.

Secondly, and most importantly, he can bring creativity to the midfield.

With two assists during the current campaign, it's clear that the manager is working with Ceballos to be more of an attacking threat and express himself on the pitch.

The Spaniard has averaged 1.1 key passes and 1.4 successful dribbles in his first eight appearances, showing how much of a creative influence the 23-year-old could become.

With Ceballos working under the watchful eye of Emery during the current campaign, his attacking credentials can be a pivotal part in keeping the Gunners inside the Champions League places in the Premier League table, and they should absolutely snatch the chance to make his loan permanent if Zidane is not keen to use him at the Bernabeu.