In a shocking turn of reports, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is interested in signing Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin. The Spaniard has not been on the best of terms with the Gunners faithful and is looking to play his football elsewhere. There has been a lot of criticism floating around the Spaniard as the defender has come under attack from most of the Arsenal fans that have salted him for a recent interview at Oxford Union. But in general, his performances have been well below par than what a lot of fans expected of him in the recent few months.
The young full-back joined Arsenal in 2011, as a teenager promising to become one of Europe’s most recognized players mainly due to his understanding of the game and his pace. Bellerin is well known for his amazing speed and crosses in the attacking half and it doesn’t hurt that he can track back quickly as well. Having initially become a fan favorite at the Emirates stadium by helping Arsenal to win two FA Cups in three seasons, Bellerin has come under heavy scrutiny and wants an exit door from the North London side this season.
Bellerin has drawn a lot of eyes from the Serie A with Italian champions Juventus desperate to lure in a natural right-back. Juve is still looking for a long-term replacement for Dani Alves, who left the club for Paris Saint Germain last summer. They have identified Bellerin as one of the best right-backs in the world but will now face competition from English giants Manchester United.
Antonio Valencia has done exceedingly well for Manchester United despite not being a natural right-back, but Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho knows the importance of having a solid, rapid and young full-back in order to challenge for the title next season. This has made the Portuguese boss think of Bellerin, who has enough experience now at 23, in the Premier League.
Amid transfer talk for Bellerin, Ray Parlour has given his verdict that the former Barcelona man shouldn’t be sold for anything under £50m. He spoke to TalkSPort and said, ‘I’d be amazed if Arsenal sold Bellerin. He’s still a young player, he’s still learning and he wants to learn. ‘I still think defensively he has to get better, but he can get better and he’s not had the greatest of seasons and I think he’d be the first to admit that, but I do rate him a lot.”
‘I wouldn’t take £50m for him because you’ve still got to replace him in the team. Full-backs these days are so hard to find because they’ve got to be able to play like wingers. ‘You’ve got to be able to get up the pitch and produce good quality. He’s got great pace, so I wouldn’t be selling him, no”, explained Parlour.
However, Bellerin’s contract expires in 2023 and he is still relatively young, he could have a great future at Arsenal itself if he starts focusing more on his game and less on the materialistic things in life.
