Barcelona have reportedly put in place a 10-day deadline to complete the signing of Arsenal ace Hector Bellerin, with both sides said to want the move.
The 22-year-old left his boyhood club in 2011 to join the Gunners, and he has since gone on to make almost 100 league appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side to establish himself as one of the top right-backs in the Premier League.
However, having spent eight years at Barcelona as a youth team player, and we’ve seen it before with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, it’s seemingly difficult for him to turn down an opportunity to return to the Catalan giants.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barca have put in place a 10-day deadline to resolve the matter and to try and take Bellerin back to the Nou Camp.
The report even goes so far as to say that not only do the La Liga side want the move, but Bellerin does too, with claims that he’s told people close to him that he has a real desire to go back to Spain this summer and will be disappointed if he isn’t able to.
If true, that puts Arsenal in a very difficult position as they will be desperate to keep one of the more prized assets, although they’re certainly in a strong financial position moving forward with Bellerin tied to a long-term contract and so it will cost Barca a significant price to re-sign him.
For now Bellerin is focused on the U21s European Championship with Spain set to face Italy in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. After that, there will be a serious push to sign him over the next 10 days as Barcelona seemingly want the matter resolved.
The right-back position has been problematic for the club since Dani Alves left last summer, and so bringing in Bellerin would be seen as a much-needed long-term solution.