Serie A holders Juventus are reportedly confident of striking an agreement with Arsenal for Spanish right-back Hector Bellerin during the summer.
The 22-year-old has been the Gunners’ undisputed first-choice on the right side of the defence, though his performances this term have not warranted him the position.
According to The Mirror, the Bianconeri are edging closer to pursuing the former La Masia graduate, and talks over a potential switch to Turin are said to be ‘progressing’.
Bellerin has not had the best of times in the Gunners’ shirt since suffering an ankle injury during the north London derby against Spurs on November 2016, and he has since been regularly criticised by the supporters for his performances.
To make things more frenzy, the young defender happened to criticise popular Youtube Channel Arsenal FA Tv during a Q & A session at the Oxford Union, and this has also gone not well with the supporters as he described them as ‘so wrong‘.
Despite the speculation, Arsenal are unlikely to be in an urgency to cash in on Bellerin, given he still has more than five years left on his existing deal. Should the player himself force through a move, the Gunners would still have to find a genuine replacement before sanctioning his departure.
Calum Chambers and Rob Holding are both capable of slotting into the right side of the backline, but neither are blessed with the raw pace which Bellerin possesses.
At his best, the Spaniard is capable of finding the scoresheet as visualised in the 2-2 draw versus Chelsea, and he also has his vulnerable side, where he can find himself playing catchup to the opposition, where they are on the counter.
The right-back is currently sidelined with a knee issue which saw him miss the Europa League tie against AC Milan on Thursday, and he is likely to do the same versus Watford this afternoon. Chambers is probably the go-to option in his absence.
