Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin will have to accept a sizeable cut on his £100,000-a-week wages if he wants to return to La Liga and Real Betis, as reported by Estadio Deportivo.
Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar deserve huge credit for the way they’ve trimmed the fat from a bloated squad during the past couple of transfer windows, especially when you consider the amount of obstacles in their way.
In the end, Arsenal had little choice but to terminate the contracts of high-earning big-hitters such as Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, with their sizeable pay packets scaring off many a suitor.
Bellerin now faces a similar problem, with his £5 million-a-year deal putting him well out of Real Betis’s reach.
Arsenal want £22m for Bellerin
Reports from Spain suggest the long-serving right-back must reduce his weekly pay packet by about £40,000 if he wants to join a Betis side that, unlike Arsenal, secured Europa League qualification in 2020/21.
Furthermore, the Andalusian outfit are unlikely to pay the £22 million fee Arsenal are demanding for the Spain international.
Real Betis would prefer a loan-to-buy deal if the Gunners are unwilling to reduce their sizeable asking price.
Paris Saint-Germain are also interested, although the Champions League semi-finalists appear to be prioritising Inter Milan speed-machine Achraf Hakimi at this stage.
Full-back is a Real Betis fan
Should Real Betis come to an agreement with Arsenal, Bellerin would be tasked with replacing Emerson Royal following the Brazilian’s return to Barcelona.
Interestingly, the 26-year-old is a self-confessed Betico, never hiding his admiration for a club that finished sixth in La Liga under Manuel Pellegrini last season.
“My first shirt was Betis, because my father was a fan of the Verdiblanco team. It was difficult for me to support another club,” Bellerin said recently.
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