Arsenal and Tottenham have been dealt a boost in their pursuit of Dani Ceballos after he was left out of Real Madrid's pre-season tour squad.
Los Blancos will take on Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup in the USA.
The 22-year-old has struggled to nail down a regular spot in the Real Madrid side and has been tipped to move on after the return of Zinedine Zidane as manager.
Tottenham have emerged as the favourites for his signature but Arsenal are believed to be set to offer competition as Unai Emery looks to strengthen his midfield.
Ceballos impressed as he led Spain to glory in the European Under 21 Championships, scoring two goals and registering two assists.
His inclusion in that tournament could be a contributory factor towards his snub from their pre-season tour.
But he is known to be keen for more first-team football, with Real Madrid not looking able to offer him the game time he wants causing him to look elsewhere.
With Christian Eriksen potentially set to leave Spurs for Real Madrid, Mauricio Pochettino is considering handing Ceballos a move in the opposite direction.
Arsenal are also believed to be keen as Unai Emery looks to add more attacking creativity and strengthen his side.
The Gunners set off for America without their captain Laurent Koscielny, who will not feature as he takes a stand over a transfer dispute.
Arsenal could consider a loan move due to their limited transfer budget, which would keep the door open for a Real Madrid return in the future.
The two clubs will meet in the International Challenge Cup on July 23, whilst new Gunners sporting director Edu could be working behind the scenes to try and make a Ceballos move happen.
Ceballos, meanwhile, hinted at a London move as he posted a picture inside a red phone box on his Instagram story during a holiday trip to Universal Studios in Florida.
