Barcelona’s defence has been their Achilles heel for a few years now. Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s declining form, coupled with the Blaugrana backline’s inability to step up during clutch moments, has seen the club constantly fall from grace.
Therefore, Joan Laporta and co. made sure to revamp as much of the backline as they could. Andreas Christensen was brought on a free transfer from Chelsea, while Jules Kounde signed from Sevilla for nearly €50 million. The deal for Marcos Alonso seems set, too.
The attention is on the right-back role now, where Sergi Roberto, Sergino Dest, and even Ronald Araujo are in contention to start. Xavi wanted to sign Cesar Azpilicueta, but the veteran defender ended up signing a renewal with Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have offered Barça the chance to sign Hector Bellerin, as per Mundo Deportivo.
The 27-year-old right-back was part of La Masia before leaving for Arsenal in search of game-time at the age of 16. He was a vital part of the Gunners’ squad for several years before injuries caught up with him, and he lost his starting spot.
Bellerin spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Real Betis. He played 23 games in the league, averaging a chance created per game, while registering two assists. More importantly, though, he won the Copa del Rey under Manuel Pellegrini, even setting up Borja Iglesias’ goal in the final.
Despite his rather impressive season, the Spaniard has no place in Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. The coach prefers Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu in that role, which means Bellerin is free to leave the club.
Barcelona have not turned down the offer, but want to focus on the registrations and the Alonso deal before shifting their eyes to Bellerin.
While reports have suggested that Bellerin wants a permanent move to Betis, the Sevilla outfit are not in a financial condition to make new signings. They are facing problems with registrations, too, and would want to wrap that up before making more moves in the market.