FC Barcelona have reportedly told Hector Bellerin they will sign the Arsenal defender if the fullback is willing to wait until the end of the transfer window as the Catalan giants look to offload some players.
According to Sport, Xavi Hernandez’s side are desperate for a new right-back as Sergino Dest looks set to leave Barcelona in the coming days, with Bellerin emerging as a wise alternative for the European titans given that Arsenal are keen to offload the defender this summer.
Earning a reported £110,000-a-week, Arsenal are intent on selling Bellerin in the final week of the transfer window to rid the fullback of his wages, with the north London side also working on deals for Nicolas Pepe and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, with the three players the last of the deadwood Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are looking to offload.
Bellerin has been linked with a return to Real Betis this summer with the right-back flourishing at the La Liga club last season, guiding the Andalusian side to the Copa del Rey and another European finish under Manuel Pellegrini, yet a deal has so far yet to materialise, opening the door for Barcelona to potentially sign the defender.
Born and raised in Barcelona, Bellerin joined Arsenal from the famed La Masia academy where the fullback became a regular for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger, yet injuries and a lack of form has seen the defender lose his place in the squad, with Mikel Arteta favouring Takehiro Tomiyasu and now Ben White this season in the right-back position.
Indeed, Bellerin and Arsenal will be taking a massive gamble waiting for Barcelona to sign the Spanish international in the final days of the transfer window, yet given that the two clubs pulled off such a deal in January for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, it isn’t impossible to rule out that the Catalan side can complete a signing next week.
Arsenal should be cautious with Barcelona’s condition to sign Bellerin
With White thriving in his new role of right-back, Arsenal are well-stocked in the position with Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares all waiting in the wings should something happen for the England international, and whilst not selling Bellerin isn’t the end of the world, the Gunners should remain cautious when conducting a deal with Barcelona.
After all, the La Liga side’s financial problems have been well-documented this summer, and Arsenal could easily find themselves on the wrong end of a deal should Barcelona start taking liberties in a deal to bring Bellerin back to his homeland and to the Nou Camp.
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