Arsenal journalist Charles Watts has discussed the future of Hector Bellerin and suggested that the signs point towards an Emirates exit for the Spaniard.
Bellerin has been at the club for a decade after the Gunners poached him as a 16-year-old from Barcelona.
He has built a fine career for himself at the club, but it seems that the time has come for him and the club to part ways.
Mikel Arteta hasn’t been relying on him for much of this season and he would feel the Gunners can do without him.
He is in competition for a place in the team with the likes of Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers.
The latter has emerged as the favourite of Arteta in recent games and could maintain that status next season.
Watts says Bellerin is likely to leave the Gunners and the recent team selections show that the club is probably planning for their future without him in their squad.
He said on his YouTube channel: “I think there’s certainly conversations to be had with Hector Bellerin this summer. The suggestion is from pretty much everyone you talk to that everyone is in agreement that they kind of feel like this might well be Hector Bellerin’s last season at Arsenal.
“Again, it depends on a few things, though – what interested clubs are there, will they interest Bellerin, will the bid be enough to tempt Arsenal into doing business?
“Now, we know Hector nearly went last summer, didn’t happen. Mikel Arteta spoke with him, they had talks, Arteta has admitted this previously and [at] those talks [it] was decided he’d stay for another year.
“It hasn’t quite worked out for Hector this season. He’s been in and out of the team. Certainly, the signs are now you’ve seen with the team selection, the fact that Calum Chambers is playing ahead of him at the moment, Cedric has done at times as well, that Mikel is now kind of looking beyond Hector when it comes to the right-back [position] and Arsenal certainly will be looking at the right-backs, in terms of bringing in someone this summer to play over there.”