It looks extremely likely that FC Barcelona are going to lose veteran right-back Dani Alves this summer with reports suggesting the Brazilian is about to join Italian champions Juventus on a free transfer.

If the thirty-three year old does trade in life in La Liga for a move to Serie A, then the Catalan giants will no doubt be on the lookout for a new right sided full-back.

The obvious name that comes to mind in Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.

The right back is a Barcelona native and was on the club’s books as a kid. In the past two seasons at Arsenal, Hector has excelled and earned glowing praise and reviews.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger purred about the twenty-one year old’s displays:

“The positive of the season is that Hector has been consistent. He was outstanding in the first half as well.”

That consistency and the level of his performances saw the youngster named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Bellerin started thirty-six times in the Premier League last term (plus six starts in the Champions League) and his energy and willingness to keep on running edged the more experienced Mathieu Debuchy out of the Arsenal first team picture. The Frenchman would leave the Gunners to join Bordeaux on loan in January as he became so frustrated at his lack of game time.

Defensively Bellerin made on average 1.7 tackles per game and around two interceptions per game. In the process he only picked up three yellow cards. Going forward he help his sides cause with a single goal and six assists (more than Alves managed at Barca). He also managed an 85% passing success rate.

Obviously there is still room for improvement but the start he’s made to his professional career has been highly impressive.

It must be slightly galling for Wenger that after every fine Bellerin performance commentators, tweeters and the like would say it is just a matter of time before he ends up at the Nou Camp.

It must be like reliving the Cesc Fabregas narrative all over again… ‘The local lad must be waiting for his return home!’

With his lightening quick acceleration, smart positioning and his ability to get forward and back all game, it would be folly to think that Barca haven’t earmarked him as a possible Dani Alves replacement.

Arsenal have a strained history with their Catalan counterparts as they seem to lose a lot of their talented stars to the Camp Nou giants.

But they aren’t without hope when it comes to keeping Hector in North London.

Only very recently he was quoted as saying:

‘I’m very happy so I don’t see myself anywhere other than at Arsenal.’

Would that still be the case if his home-side came calling?

The young Spaniard also has three years left on his contract, so would Barcelona be willing to pay £20m+ on the defender?

Wenger is already making big plans for next season and will not want to see those plans derailed just because Barca may have taken a fancy to one of his consistent performers. The French manager has stood up to the Spanish champions in the past and made them wait for what they wanted.

Unfortunately I think this one might just turn into one of those summer long transfer sagas.

 

Posted on May 26th, 2016 by scott
Filed under: Article