According to Spanish publication El Des Marque, Atletico Madrid are in early talks with Arsenal to sign Hector Bellerin.
The report claims the full-back continues to favour a return to Real Betis, where he spent the 21/22 campaign, but that interest from Diego Simeone’s side is likely to put an already unlikely deal with the Andalusians further out of reach.
While Bellerin is said to be open to sacrificing some of his salary to continue his journey at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, Atletico have more cash to play with and can offer the carrot of Champions League football.
Whether Atletico can come up with a transfer fee that tickles Edu’s fancy remains to be seen.
In recent years when it’s become obvious that high-earners weren’t likely to see much action, we’ve tended to throw in the towel.
Earlier in the summer, there were suggestions that AS Roma were also interested in signing Bellerin. As it so often does with the Stadio Olimpico outfit, it’s all gone a bit quiet on that front.
Elsewhere, Kicker (via GGFN) claim PSV Eindhoven have registered interest in Bernd Leno. The 30-year-old goalkeeper already has an offer on the table from Fulham although an agreement with Arsenal is yet to be reached.
I really hope he gets this move, for his sake. Simeone can revive Hector.
Hector may luck out with this move. We should be aiming for £10-12m from athletico IMO.
Hector doesnt want to be revived by Simeone
You mean he’s holding out for Jesus instead?
Is there any right back here who can’t run fast no more? Step on up! Hallelujah praisedalor
Bring him back 2 deputize tomi. He’s a hell lot better than Cedric. That is if the other option is 2 sell him cheap
I don’t get the Cedric hate, fair enough he’s no Tomi but he always does a professional job and isn’t pressing the manager for playing time or a move. I love Bellerin but I’d still take Cedric over him as RB cover, Bellerin never reached his former heights after the injury.
Cedric is nowhere near our biggest issue as a club, in fact in a line up alongside Tierney, Gabriel and White you could argue he’s our first choice based on results. It’s when Nuno plays our results take a nosedive.
And you could argue that Runarsson was our number 1, based on hair colour.
Not sure I can agree with you there John C! Cedric is a fundamental barrier to us playing how we want to. He’s done alright at times when Tomi was out, and I don’t hate him like some do, but the sooner we can move on from having to be reliant on him, the sooner we can play effective football rather than charging up the right before passing it straight to a defender’s head.
I don’t think he is, but if you look at the stats, we won 6 out of the 7 matches when he played alongside Tierney, Gab and White.
We need a couple of players in our attacking 3, a couple in midfield and a left back before we need to look at Cedric
Everyone hates on Cedric and it makes me so cross.
I just get crosser, and crosser, and crosser, and crosser… It just makes me cross. Cross, cross, cross, cross. Man, I get so cross about that. And once I’ve finished being cross (because, I mean, there’s no point just continuously being cross) I get a bit crosser. And then I’m just cross, cross, cross, all day long.
Cross.
It just crossed my mind that you are a genius. I like it.
After so much crossing – it finally hit me what you were saying…. 1 out of 16 sounds about spot on.
These are way better than the Gabriel Jesus cross jokes.
It’s because he’s a seriously average player who’s level should still be Southhampton. Physically especially he doesn’t seem Arsenal standard IMO.
I hope Norton Cuffy can take his spot from him. Might be early for him but he looks like a beast.
I think Arsenal is over for Hector. Cedric is about right for backup and he won’t be leaving on that super fat salary anyway.
If we manage Tomi a bit better, hopefully he will play the majority of Premier League games.
Tomi should only be playing PL games until UEL 1/4 final (providing me make it there)
At the moment, we’re a Tommi injury away from another run of ‘Some Mother’s Do ‘Ave ‘Em.’
Couldn’t agree more. Cedric is an absolute nightmare and will cost us vital Premiership points if we don’t get rid of him, because you can be sure from the total lack of protection that our players get from those idiots masquerading as referees, that Tommi will not be able to play every game. It pains me to think that we’re probably about to shell out the best part of £200 million and yet we’ll still go into the new season well short of decent cover in a key area. If Tommi wasn’t fit, I would take Hector over Cedric every… Read more »
Show me the money baby!
My captain!
If the money we get for him can buy a decent backup to Tomi, then sell him
We just don’t need backup there. Saliba and White have both played right back before and Cedric a lot of last year. Let’s spend money on areas that really count.
Like replacing Cedric…..
Mixed feelings about Hector. Would want him instead of Cedric. But if he has to leave, should be for reasonable fee. I wouldn’t mind the Norton chap as back up for Tomiyasu.
One of my favourite gunners, hope he gets a good deal somewhere that we benefit from as well.
About Leno, I thought they brought Ramsdale because Leno did not want to commit to a contract extension. When a player is No. 1 in his position and does that, it is because he knows where he is going. I am surprised there wasn’t a big team waiting for him.
Leno fucked us over right royally, basically. He should have gone the summer before last if he didn’t want to sign a new contract. We could’ve kept Martinez and not spent yet more money on a first choice goalkeeper.
Still think we should’ve never signed Cech and just kept Szczesny (in fairness I think Leno and Ramsdale are probably both better, but it would’ve saved us a pretty penny in transfer fees and wages).
Disagree on Leno, agree on Woj
As I said before, hope he gets the desired move to Betis. The guy seems very happy there, just look how he celebrated Copa del Rey title.
On side note, PSV links seems bogus. They just signed a new GK from OGN Nice.
Came here to say this. PSV are my other family team. They signed two goalies already this summer, doubt they’re about to go all Southgate and his RBs by adding Leno; Benitez from Nice to be their #1 and also Waterman as backup.
Hector will be missed when he’s gone, been one of my favourite players over the past five or so years.
As much as I love our Cockneyed Catalan, I think this would be a good move for all parties involved.
It would be nice to see him back at Colney if he would like to do his coaching badges here, but at this stage in his career he needs regular minutes.