Arsenal's Spanish defender Hector Bellerin takes a photograph with a camera before the English Premier League football match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on December 19, 2020. (Photo by PETER POWELL / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by PETER POWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Mirror (h/t Daily Mail), Barcelona want to bring back Hector Bellerin to Camp Nou. Presidential candidate, Joan Laporta, has laid out the initial plans to strengthen his bid.
That includes bringing back the £110,000-a-week Arsenal man who spent his developmental years at La Masia. Sources in Spain have reported that there is already some sort of agreement in place and a transfer fee of £22million has been discussed.
The 25-year-old Spanish right-back who plays for Arsenal. The Spaniard started out his youth career at the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona in 2003. He spent 8 years there before Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal.
For 2 years, he was playing with the U-18s and U-21s. He was sent out on loan to Watford in 2013 but couldn’t get a decent run of games. However, it was during the 2014-15 season that Bellerin exploded onto the scene. His ridiculous pace and control took everyone by surprise and he claimed the right-back spot for his own.
Since then, he has made over 200 appearances, scoring 8 goals and assisting 29 (source – Transfermarkt). He also has 4 caps for the Spanish national team.
While it would seem like a smart signing to bring back a former academy player after he’s matured, Barcelona already have a very good young right-back in their ranks. The club signed Sergino Dest from Ajax in the summer and he has impressed so far.
Bringing in another established right-back would hamper his growth. One needs to remember the club also have Sergi Roberto, who often plays at right-back.. There are also Bellerin’s defensive deficiencies to think about. The Arsenal man can bomb up and down the flank easily but when it comes to his primary duties as a defender, he can often drop the ball. That is hardly something an already fragile Barcelona side can handle.
That leads us to the last but most important factor. Barcelona need to invest their cash wisely on players in positions of need. A centre-back and striker are of utmost importance. Even if Bellerin costs only £22million, Barcelona would be better off redirecting those funds elsewhere. Bellerin may be a decent player but he is not someone Barca need at the moment.