What’s the story?
Hector Bellerin will consider joining Barcelona in the summer should Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger decide to leave the club at the end of the current season. The 21-year-old Spaniard joins a host of stars willing to leave North London should the Frenchman call time on his 21 years at the club.
Bellerin signed a new six-year contract only in November but The Guardian report that he’ll be more than willing to go back to his ‘home’ club should Wenger leave. Barcelona have not hidden the fact that they’re interested in signing the youngster but he’s turned them down repeatedly because of he feels he’s growing well as a player under the French manager.
In case you didn’t know...
Hector Bellerin joins Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as the Arsenal stars willing to leave the club should Arsene Wenger leave. Mesut Ozil even went as far as giving an interview to Kicker confirming the same. “The club knows that I want to be clear what the manager is going to do [in the future],” he said.
Alexis Sanchez is deliberately holding back on signing a new contract because he, too, wants more clarity on what the future of his manager will be. The two of them reportedly share a very good relationship and he wants that to continue; there is genuine interest from Juventus, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain for his services should he decide to leave the Gunners.
The heart of the matter
Arsene Wenger is in the final year of his contract and has put all talk of renewing and retiring on hold insisting that he’ll make a decision only at the end of the current season. Depending on Arsenal’s results both domestically and in Europe, and if whether they’ve improved as a side will play heavily in his decision for the future.
Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are reportedly waiting on the flanks to offer him the managerial role should he call time on his Arsenal career. Despite all the shortcomings of his Arsenal side, he remains one of the most wanted coaches in all of Europe.
Also Read: Will Arsenal survive if Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Arsene Wenger leave this summer?
What’s next?
Bellerin, Ozil and Sanchez are arguably three of Arsenal’s best players at the moment – most valuable, at least – and any of them leaving the club is a big blow, especially given that the club are finally past the stage where they don’t have to sell their best players anymore.
Sportskeeda’s take
While it seems likely that Bellerin could leave the club after Wenger does, it seems unlikely he’ll do so this window. His contract expires only in 2023 and the club will have no impetus to part with the world’s most valuable right-back.
