Real Betis will reportedly launch an offer to sign Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin if Nottingham Forest finalise a deal to bring in Alex Moreno from the La Liga side.
According to ABC Sevilla, the Copa del Rey title holders are hoping to sell the 29-year-old winger in order to facilitate deals to sign both Bellerin and Houssem Aouar, with Betis hopeful of recouping at least €20m (£17m) from Moreno if Forest are to make a move for the Spaniard.
Bellerin was part of Betis’ side last season which lifted the Copa del Rey and finished in fifth in the La Liga standings, coming just five points off a UEFA Champions League spot, and it’s no surprise that the Spanish side are now keen on bringing the Arsenal defender back on a permanent deal.
The Gunners are keen to offload their academy graduate, but Bellerin’s reported £100,000-a-week wages are causing problems with a potential sale, a situation which has been common in Arsenal’s transfer dealings this summer, with Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira facing similar obstacles.
Indeed, Bellerin seemingly loved his time in Betis last season, and it would be no surprise if the Spanish international wanted to return to Seville for good this summer, with the right-back currently with Arsenal on their pre-season tour of the United States.
With the Gunners well stocked in the right-back position, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar could be open to selling Bellerin on the cheap this summer, but before any of that can be theorised, Forest must first sign Moreno from Betis, a deal that the La Liga side are helpful of completing.
Moreno sale will revolutionise Betis with incoming Bellerin signing
Signing Moreno to bring in Aouar and Bellerin is smart business no matter how you frame it, and it isn’t impossible to think that Betis pulling off these moves could help Manuel Pellegrini’s side challenge for a top-four spot next season as well as potentially rival Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League.
After all, Betis did brilliant last season and were one of the stories of the European footballing year, and the Seville side will no doubt want to build from the Copa del Rey victory and top-five finish by going one step further, something that could be achieved with the signing of Bellerin.
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