Published 14:00 IST, March 4th 2021
Arsenal transfer news: Hector Bellerin's deal to move to Barcelona hinges on elections
Arsenal transfer news: Hector Bellerin reportedly has an agreement to join Barcelona in the summer if Joan Laporta becomes the Catalan club's president.
The cash crunch amidst the coronavirus pandemic means that many top clubs are looking to cash in on their assets, with Arsenal reportedly looking to sell right-back Hector Bellerin. The Spaniard has been a staple on the right for the Gunners having joined them as a youth player from Barcelona in 2011. The 25-year-old has often been linked with a return to Catalonia in recent years and could do so in the upcoming summer transfer window.
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Arsenal transfer news: Hector Bellerin has an agreement to join Barcelona if Joan Laporta becomes president
According to a report by The Daily Mirror, Arsenal star Hector Bellerin reportedly 'has a transfer agreement to return to Barcelona if Joan Laporta becomes president'. Laporta is one of the favourites for the position following Josep Maria Bartomeu's resignation earlier this year. Laporta has reportedly held talks and has an agreement with the representatives of the Gunners defender to try to negotiate a fee with Arsenal to bring him back. Bellerin is keen to return to Barcelona, where he graduated from La Masia, the club's famous academy.
However, a deal to bring Hector Bellerin to Barcelona is far from straightforward, with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain also tracking his current situation. The 25-year-old had requested a move last summer, but the Gunners denied him his request, but a heart-to-heart with Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay for another year. The pacy right-back has been a regular for the Gunners since he made his debut in 2014, making 232 appearances for the north London side and winning three FA Cups. Bellerin is under contract until 2023 at the Emirates and is willing to move back to Catalonia and rejoin his home city in the summer according to the report. Bellerin has featured 28 times for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal this season, though he has often been rotated with Portuguese international defender Cedric Soares.
Barcelona are due to hold elections for the club's next president on March 7 and Laporta is among the favourites to win the race for what will be his second stint at the Nou Camp. Laporta has already outlined a number of big plans should he be voted in as president, with one of his main priorities to convince Lionel Messi to stay at the club. The lawyer previously served as club chief between 2003 and 2010 during Messi's hugely-successful formative years at the club. Barcelona transfer news continues to link Bellerin with a return to the Catalan city, despite Ronald Koeman having splashed £23 million on American defender Sergino Dest.
(Image Courtesy: Arsenal Instagram)
Updated 14:00 IST, March 4th 2021