Hector Bellerin will sign a new long-term contract only if the club is able to show improvements on the field, according to reports in ESPN.
The 25-year-old has been one of the first names on the team sheet ever since he made his breakthrough in the 2014/15 season. Despite suffering from injuries in recent seasons, he is still the first choice right-back for the club.
The Spanish defender has been linked with a move to Juventus and Inter Milan recently, but ESPN claims that Bellerin is not keen on a transfer move at the moment with three more left on his current deal.
It further claims that he believes in Mikel Arteta and his vision for the future but wants to see the results on the pitch before committing to a new long-term deal.
Arsenal are ninth in the Premier League table at the moment and there is a good chance that they might miss out on the Champions League once again.
Also, the squad will see a pay cut of 12.5 percent should the team not make it into a Champions League spot. And it was reported that Bellerin was one of the key members behind convincing the players to take this decision. This gives the team an extra incentive to turn things around.
The pace that Bellerin offers has been key in unlocking the attacking potential of the Arsenal right side. His ever-improving defensive awareness means that he is quite close to becoming the complete modern full-back.
With him only being 25, he still has a lot to offer to the Gunners so, it would not be a good move on the club’s behalf if he was to leave. His role in making the players take a wage cut also shows the leadership qualities that Bellerin has which is another reason why he should be spending his prime at the club.
Arteta has had a reasonably good start to his first-ever managerial job and the signs are encouraging. If the club can showcase more of this form, then the improvements will soon start happening on the pitch and that will hopefully convince Bellerin to commit to a new deal.
