Barcelona have joined the race to sign Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin, according to reports from Sport.
The Spanish international has been linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer, as the Gunners look to fund a squad rebuild under new manager Mikel Arteta.
PSG have already shown interest in the defender, and reportedly had a bid rejected for him earlier this month. Bayer Leverkusen have also been linked.
But now it appears that Barcelona have also thrown their hat into the ring.
Bellerin ideal for Barcelona rebuild
Spanish outlet Sport report that club representatives have made contact with Arsenal technical director Edu Gaspar about the 25-year-old’s availability.
Bellerin came through Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia academy before leaving for London at the age of 16.
It is for this reason that Ronald Koeman views him as the perfect player to help him begin his own rebuild at the Nou Camp.
The Dutch manager wants to bring back some of Barca’s famed core principles that they appear to have lost in recent years.
Difficult Deal
However, after a series of expensive transfer mistakes have taken their toll on Barca’s transfer budget.
£100m+ signings like Ousmanne Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann mean they now have limited funds for new players.
That could make a deal for Bellerin difficult. Barcelona only value him at around €20-25m whereas Arsenal are looking for a fee more in the region of £35-40m.
Bellerin’s Arsenal future
Bellerin is expected to feature for Arsenal this weekend despite the transfer rumours. They travel to Fulham for their Premier League opener on Saturday.
He played a key roll in helping the Gunners to win the FA Cup and Community Shield last month. It is thought that Mikel Arteta is reluctant to let him go.
But with the in-form Ainsley Maitland-Niles and recent signing Cedric Soares available as options at right-back, Bellerin could depart to help fund a move for Arsenal’s top transfer target Thomas Partey.
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