Arsenal transfer rumour: Hector Bellerin emerges as top target for Juventus
KEY POINTS
- Bellerin was previously linked with a move to his boyhood club Barcelona.
- The Spaniard's current Arsenal deal runs until 2023.
Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has emerged as a priority target for Juventus as the Serie A champions look for a long-term replacement for Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Lichtsteiner has been a mainstay in the starting XI for Juventus ever since joining the Turin club from Lazio back in 2011.
However, the Swiss right wing-back is 33 now and is expected to be released at the end of the season when his contract expires. According to Italian publication Tuttosport, Juventus are looking to Bellerin as his potential replacement.
The Italian giants have alternatives in Paris Saint-Germain's Thomas Meunier and Atletico Madrid's Sime Vrsaljko, according to the report. However, Bellerin is the top target as of now, in what would be a big-money transfer.
Bellerin will not come cheap as the 22-year-old is one of the hottest young prospects in Europe. The £100,000-a-week star also just signed a six-and-a-half-year contract back in November 2016, tying him to the Emirates Stadium until 2023.
"I've been here a long time and feel like this is my home; I am happy to be a Gunner for many more years," Bellerin had said after extending his contract. "I wasn't thinking about anything else other than staying here and continuing my development here."
However, despite his intentions to stay in north London, the Spaniard was heavily linked with a move back to his boyhood club Barcelona over the summer and did not rule out a return to Spain.
Manager Ernesto Valverde had identified Bellerin as his preferred choice at right-back, but Arsenal were not open to a sale, leading to the Catalans turning to Nelson Semedo from Benfica.
"I was lucky enough to take a chance on Arsenal [when I was 16 years old]. Things have gone well and now hearing this type of news about Barca is something which makes me happy, but it doesn't depend on me," Bellerin had stated in June.
"It's nice to know of interest from a club like Barca, the club where I grew up in from a young age. For the moment, I don't know anything, I'm an Arsenal player and we will see what happens."
