Arsenal will demand around £35million if they sell right-back Hector Bellerin this summer, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain both interested in the move.
The 25-year-old no longer looks the guaranteed starter he once was at the Emirates Stadium, with the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cedric Suarez fighting for minutes from Mikel Arteta’s side.
Bellerin struggled with injuries last season / Sean Bottrell/Getty Images
Although Arteta does not want to part with Bellerin, The Independent note that he would be ‘reluctantly prepared’ to sell the right-back for £35m this summer to finance a move for a new midfielder.
Arsenal know they have to sell players before they can buy them. French midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi was seen as the most likely injury after his fall-out with Arteta last season, but there is now growing hope he could be included back into the squad.
This forces Arsenal to look for other players to offload, and that’s where Bellerin comes in. The 25-year-old is understood to have attracted interest elsewhere, prompting Arsenal to agree to his departure should the right offer come along.
Talks with PSG are already understood to be underground, and now Sport claim Barcelona have thrown their hat into the ring.
Regularly discussed as a transfer target at the Camp Nou, it is believed that this summer could finally be the summer for Barca to land the Spaniard as they look for ways to offload Nelson Semedo. are, who have been linked with a move to the Premier League.
The Barcelona board are said to have reached out to Arsenal director Edo, but this is where the story starts to raise more questions than answers. According to the report, Edo told Barcelona that Bellerin would cost no more than £23m, which seems surprisingly low for a player who has three years left on his contract.
Barcelona will have to offload Semedo first / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Regardless of whether that fee is justified or not, Barcelona cannot afford it anyway. La Blaugrana are waiting to see if they can find a buyer for Semedo, who has often attracted interest from Manchester City, and will only go for Bellerin if they offload their current right-back. can do
Arsenal appear ready to sell Bellerin to bolster a weak area of the squad – central midfield. Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is a preferred target, with Lyon’s Hossom Oar also frequently mentioned.
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!