Arsenal vice-captain Hector Bellerin is considering leaving the club at the end of this season, according to CBS Sports.
The Spaniard joined our academy from Barcelona when he was just 16 years old. He made his debut in the 2014/15 season and has gone on to play over 230 games for us in all competitions since.
Bellerin is our longest-serving player at the moment. He is a key figure in the dressing room and is one of Mikel Arteta’s favourites.
The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain last summer. They reportedly made a £25 million offer to sign him as well, but Arsenal quickly rejected that and he stayed put. (Guardian)
PSG, now managed by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, are set to revive their interest this summer. The Argentine is reportedly a big admirer of Bellerin who he saw first-hand for years during his time in the Premier League.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the summer. Bellerin’s £110,000-a-week contract lasts until 2023 (Spotrac), and considering that he is one of the first names on the team sheet, Arteta might be reluctant to let him leave.
Arsenal Insider’s view:
This really is a difficult one for everyone involved.
Bellerin has done well at times under Arteta but questions marks over his defence still remain. Off the pitch, he is a real leader and that might force Arteta to keep hold of him – just like he did last summer.
A lot will depend on where we end up this season. If we miss out on a European spot, will have to sell some of our players to raise funds.
That might just convince us to let Bellerin leave, especially since he’s reportedly open to a move away. That might prove to be the best thing for all parties involved.
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