Arsenal transfer news: Hector Bellerin tops Barcelona’s wishlist with Dani Alves set for Juventus

Hec of a talent: Barca make Gunners star their No1 target
David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Olley26 May 2016

Arsenal are bracing themselves for another transfer battle with Barcelona after the Spanish giants made Hector Bellerin their top target to replace Dani Alves.

Alves has one year left remaining on his current deal at Camp Nou but is expected to join Juventus on a free transfer in the next few days.

The Brazilian almost left Barca last summer before a late U-turn but he is set to end a hugely successful eight-year stint with the club, who are keen to remove his salary — worth in excess of £5million a year — off their wage bill.

Alves is still first choice under Luis Enrique but he has been tempted by a wage increase and the prospect of a three-year contract with the Serie A champions.

Barcelona have Aleix Vidal as a ready-made right-back replacement following his £13million signing from Sevilla last year but Enrique is believed to be unimpressed by what he has seen to date and has regularly left him out of the matchday squad.

That makes the prospect of signing Bellerin all the more appealing. Barca allowed the Spaniard to leave the club in 2011 after eight years in their youth set-up and are hopeful of luring him back in the same way a protracted pursuit of Cesc Fabregas ended in his return to Catalonia in 2011.

One report in Spain this morning suggested Barca had attempted to make contact with Bellerin’s representatives a month ago.

Arsenal Barcelona combined XI

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Bellerin signed a new four-year deal at Arsenal last summer and is happy at the club. Only last week, he told a Spanish newspaper: “England is my home now. I’ve lived there for many years; my family and my girlfriend are there. I don’t see myself anywhere other than at Arsenal.”

Arsenal, however, would be unwilling to sell one of their brightest young prospects.

Meanwhile, there has been no breakthrough in talks over an extension to Mesut Ozil’s contract, which expires in two years.

The German is believed to be waiting to see what business Arsenal conduct during the summer before committing his future.

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