Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin is enjoying life at Real Betis and wants to convert his loan spell into a permanent move with the Spanish side, according to latest reports. The defender has revealed his desire to stay at the La Liga club, especially after having a fruitful loan spell.
Hector Bellerin moved to Real Betis last summer after signing a season-long loan deal, after a decade-long stint at the Emirates. The Spaniard progressed through Barcelona’s youth system before joining the North London side in 2011. He had also served as the captain of the first-team during his time at Arsenal.
The Spanish international made a total of 239 appearances for the Gunners and provided 29 assists (stats via Transfermarkt) across all competitions. Once regarded as one of the most promising full-backs and a fantastic asset for the team, Bellerin’s form declined in recent years. Injuries reduced his game-time quite a bit.
However, he revived his career by eventually returning to Spain, joining the Andalusian club. The 27-year-old right-back helped the La Liga club lift the Copa del Rey this season – their first trophy in 17 years, winning the final game against Valencia. Bellerin assisted striker Borja Iglesias to open the goal-scoring for the Los Verdiblancos. The match ended 1-1 but Betis clinched a victory over Valencia in a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout.
Now, according to Mirror, Hector Bellerin wants his move to Real Betis to be made permanent. He still has one-year left in his contract (till 2023) with the Gunners, but would like to prolong his stay at the Seville-based club by making his loan deal permanent. He made 31 first-team appearances (stats via Transfermarkt) for Manuel Pellegrini’s side across all competitions.
Although the Spaniard’s contributions will not be enough for Real Betis to secure a top-4 finish in La Liga this season, he is desperate to extend his stay and make himself at home with the Andalusian side. His first year with the Spanish club can certainly be considered as successful.
Last season, despite having better financial offers on the table, Bellerin took a significant pay cut and joined Betis on loan. Upon his arrival, the defender said:
“Football is not just money, sentiment is very important.”
Given Arsenal’s defensive plight and a close chance to claim Champions League qualification for next season, it almost seems that the Gunners will try to pry him away from the La Liga side. His impressive performance has made Mikel Arteta keen on bringing the defender back to the Emirates. Arteta said about this situation:
“Any player with a contractual obligation with us, both ways, is our player and is considered our player.”
“Every plan considers that possibility (that Bellerin could stay) exists and how they can fit into our team.”
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Previously, there were reports of Arsenal willing to sell Bellerin to the Spanish side. Moreover, Betis would like to make the switch permanent, given he is the preferred right-back in the team, ahead of Youssouf Sabaly and Martin Montoya. The La Liga side might be willing to pay around €10 million to sign the player.
The Arsenal board is conscious of who to sign in the summer transfer window, regardless of where they cushion themselves at the end of this season. Therefore, it will be exciting to see the Gunners obtain a fee for their key player. The transfer fee received will help Arsenal bargain for new players.
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