Arsenal Set Héctor Bellerín Asking Price Amid Barcelona & PSG Interest
By Tom Gott
Arsenal will demand close to the £35m mark if they are to sell right-back Héctor Bellerín this summer, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain both interested in a transfer.
The 25-year-old no longer appears to be the guaranteed starter he once was at the Emirates Stadium, with the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Cédric Soares fighting for minutes in Mikel Arteta's side.
While Arteta does not want to part ways with Bellerín, The Independent note that he would be 'reluctantly willing' to sell the right-back for £35m in order to finance a move for a new midfielder this summer.
Arsenal know they have to sell players before they can buy. French midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi was seen as the most-likely casualty after his bust-up with Arteta last season, but there is now a growing optimism that he can be reintegrated into the squad.
That leaves Arsenal forced to look for other players to offload, and that's where Bellerín comes in. The 25-year-old is understood to be intrigued by a move elsewhere, prompting Arsenal to begrudgingly agree to his departure if the right offer arrives.
Talks with PSG are already believed to be underway, and now Sport claim that Barcelona have thrown their hat in the ring.
Regularly discussed as a transfer target at Camp Nou, there is a belief that this could finally be the summer for Barça to land the Spaniard as they explore ways to offload Nélson Semedo, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
The Barcelona board are said to have reached out to Arsenal director Edu, but this is where the story starts to raise more questions than answers. According to this report, Edu told Barcelona that Bellerín would cost no more than £23m, which seems surprisingly low for a player with three years left on his contract.
Regardless of whether that fee is accurate or not, Barcelona can't afford it anyway. La Blaugrana are waiting to see whether they can find a buyer for Semedo, who has often attracted interest from Manchester City, and they would only move for Bellerín if they can offload their current right-back.
Arsenal appear prepared to sell Bellerín to bolster a weaker area of the squad - central midfield. Atlético Madrid's Thomas Partey is the preferred target, with Lyon's Houssem Aouar also frequently mentioned.