Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin ‘has agreement in place to return to his former club Barcelona this summer if Joan Laporta wins presidency race’
- Hector Bellerin has been strongly linked with a move away from Arsenal this year
- The Arsenal right-back reportedly has an agreement to negotiate with Barcelona
- Those talks would only take place in Joan Laporta becomes Catalans president
- Bellerin reportedly asked Arsenal for a transfer last summer which was denied
Hector Bellerin has an agreement in place to negotiate a deal with Barcelona if Joan Laporta is elected Catalans president, according to reports.
The Arsenal right-back has been a regular for the Gunners since the Spaniard made his debut in 2014, making 232 appearances for the north London side and winning three FA Cups.
The 25-year-old has significant links to Barcelona having grown up in the club’s La Masia academy, while Bellerin also spent a significant part of his anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation in the Spanish city.
Hector Bellerin has an agreement to negotiate a move to Barcelona if Joan Laporta becomes Catalans president, according to reports
Laporta is one of the favourites to become the Barcelona president again later this month
And according to The Mirror, Barcelona presidential candidate Laporta has discussed a potential transfer with the player’s representatives and could negotiate a deal with Arsenal this summer.
The Catalan club are due to hold elections for the club’s next president later this month 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.
But bringing Bellerin back to Barcelona could well be another objective for Laporta to complete, with several rumours linking the right-back to a Camp Nou transfer.
Bellerin (left) came through the Barcelona academy before joining current club Arsenal at 16
According to ESPN, Bellerin wanted to quit the Gunners at the end of last season but a heart-to-heart with Arteta convinced him to stay for another year.
The report claims the defender requested an Arsenal departure amid interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Bellerin still has another two years left on his contract and Arsenal have reportedly identified this summer as the best possible time to cash in on the 25-year-old.
Bellerin (left) reportedly asked Mikel Arteta (right) for a transfer last season which was refused
However, Barcelona addressed their right-back situation over the summer as Ronald Koeman’s side splashed £23million on American defender Sergino Dest.
Reports in Spain have also linked a Barcelona run by Laporta with a move for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, with the 38-year-old also a product of the La Masia academy.
The Camp Nou side have ramped up the pressure on current head coach Koeman in recent weeks with Barcelona behind the leading pack in the LaLiga title race and facing an exit from the Champions League after a 4-1 last-16 first-leg loss to PSG.
Bellerin has made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, including 28 times this season
Bellerin has featured 28 times for Arteta’s Arsenal this season though has often been rotated with Portuguese international defender Cedric Soares.
Cedric impressed during Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Leicester City on Sunday with the Gunners fighting on both the Premier League and Europa League fronts between now and the end of the season.
Alternative right-back option Ainsley Maitland-Niles is currently on loan at West Bromwich Albion seeking more top-flight game time, but the 23-year-old is mainly being used as a midfielder by Sam Allardyce.
