I must admit that I find it a bit strange that the Spanish right back Hector Bellerin, despite plenty of big game action for the Gunners in recent years, can still boast just three international caps at senior level, but if this can Arsenal in anyway to stop the flying full back being tempted to return to Catalonia to play for his boyhood club Barcelona, long may it continue.
Once again this summer there have been and sure to be many more Arsenal transfer rumours linking Bekllerin with a transfer back to Barca, where Arsene Wenger plucked him from the famed La Masia academy and brought him to north London, but I feel that the Spain national team is doing us a big favour in not selecting him for the full team.
Bellerin will be heading off to Poland to compete in the under 21 championships with Spain but I would have expected him to have been moved up by now, even though his form suffered a dip in the second half of last season. Even in top form Bellerin would still probably be second choice to the Real Madrid star Dani Carvajal, but you would expect him to be ahead of the Barca full back Sergi Roberto, who has been given a place in the senior Spain side this summer.
Could this be playing on the minds of the Barca transfer team? I certainly hope so as I believe a really concerted effort from them would be likely to convince our Spanish star to go. He is still just 22-years old, though, and seems happy to keep working under Wenger4 for now.
Will Bellerin still be a Gunner next season? And will Spain ever give him the caps he clearly deserves?
Bob.