Arsenal: John Barnes gives brutal assessment of Hector Bellerin

John Barnes has insisted Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin wouldn’t start for Paris Saint-Germain if he made the move to France. 

The 25-year-old full back has been linked with a switch to the Ligue 1 giants following their interest in him last summer.

But former Liverpool winger Barnes gave a brutally honest assessment of the Gunners defender, stating that he ‘wouldn’t want a player like Bellerin’ if he was a manager and that the defender would only be good enough for the substitutes’ bench at PSG. 

‘I wouldn’t want a player like Bellerin at my club, if your team isn’t performing well, you want players who want to help the team perform better not ones who talk about leaving mid-season when the team is going through a rough patch,’ Barnes said when talking to BonusCodeBets.

‘He owes more to Arsenal than to do that. If he doesn’t want to spend the best years of his career on the bench, then moving to PSG doesn’t make sense because they have a higher average standard of defender. 

‘If he can’t always consistently start at Arsenal over the last few years, then he won’t be able to start at PSG.’

PSG’s typical starting back four consists of Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos at centre half with Layvin Kurzawa at left back and Alessandro Florenzi on the right side of defence.

Bellerin, whose recent seasons have been disrupted by injuries, has made 27 appearances for the Gunners this season, captaining the side on six occasions. 

He is Mikel Arteta’s first-choice right back, although has came under pressure by the performances of Cedric Soares in recent weeks.

The defender swapped Spain for England in 2011 as he joined the north London club from the Barcelona academy and Barnes believes Bellerin would have been able to play for PSG earlier on his career.

‘When Hector Bellerin first came onto the scene, he was good enough to play at PSG, but now, I’m not sure, especially with their (PSG’s) ambitions,’ Barnes added.

‘In his position you don’t have to be the best in the world to play at PSG, but I’m not sure if they’re going to stay interested in him at the end of the season. 

‘Bellerin is part of the reason as to why Arsenal is a club in transition and not currently playing well. Players always aspire to play in the best team in the world and win loads of trophies, but if everybody did that then all the best players would be at one club.’