Barcelona wants Hector Bellerin at any cost

With Arsenal’s season winding down a path of disappointment, coupled with the club’s muddy future as far as who’ll be managing it going forward and who’ll be representing it on the pitch, it’s not a shock to read Hector Bellerin’s name linked to his old club Barcelona.

According to Barcelona-based Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan club has made Bellerin its top priority this summer.

The club will try to Hector Bellerín with all its strength. The azulgrana club understands that this is the ideal moment to acquire the services of the Catalan fullback, that Arsenal would now be more open to negotiate than in previous seasons.

Okay, before you panic here are a few reasons why you should take a deep breath and calm yourself over any potential Bellerin exit.

First, Mundo Deportivo is to Barca what Marca is to Real Madrid. It’s more or less a club mouthpiece which will link any class player to the club as an imminent transfer no matter how unrealistic it is in reality. Secondly, this is standard operating procedure for such a publication the day after their biggest rival wins a massive game, especially a game in European competition. Third, Bellerin won’t come cheap for anyone and if we’re to believe the reports surrounding Barca’s financial situation, they likely won’t have some €40 million lying around for a fullback, which is probably what it would take to pry someone as talented as Bellerin away from Arsenal. They could probably cook their books and dodge some more taxes, but they still have other positions which are in need of addressing so spending most of their funds on one player seems unlikely.

Fourth, Bellerin signed a new six year contract last November and said the following:

“If I wanted to play there (Barcelona) I would have stayed. It’s nice for a player to know that big teams want you but I’m very happy here. I’m not looking back, I’m just looking to help Arsenal.”

So yes, times are tough at Arsenal and yes, one can’t blame the building blocks of this club if they want the future clarified before they publicly kiss the crest and commit themselves to north London for life, but Bellerin has always made it clear that he doesn’t want to return to Barca and Mundo Deportivo publishing yet another rumor likely won’t make it any more true.