Arsenal: Hector Bellerin replicates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain damage

Hector Bellerin is reportedly edging closer to an Arsenal exit. His departure would be damaging to Arsene Wenger in a similar way as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s.

Arsene Wenger has a set of ideals that he steadfastly runs Arsenal football club by. No matter the gravity of the decision, the personnel involved or the state of the club at that time, Wenger is stubbornly loyal to how he believes the organisation should be run.

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It is an admirable quality, one that has brought great success to North London throughout his 21-year tenure. One of these principles is his preference to acquire young players, develop and coach them up in-house, and then start them in the first team when he adjudges them to be ready, reaping the financial benefit by paying a far discounted transfer fee and cheaper wages.

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It is an approach that has worked on a number of occasions with a multitude of players. However, in more recent years, the players that Wenger has brought to the club and invested in have looked to move elsewhere just as they reach the prime of their career. Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie. The names roll off the tongue. It is an approach, therefore, that rarely pays dividends for Arsenal, as they must ride the rough, inconsistent form of these players when they are young, only to watch their best days play out elsewhere.

And now, there are more examples of Wenger’s tactic falling short of its full glory. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future has long been cast in doubt, ever since he publicly declared a willingness to leave last summer if his role and stature in the squad didn’t improve. And with his contract still yet to be resolved – he now has one more year remaining – there remains the strong possibility that he will leave the club this summer.

Another who is also reportedly edging closer to an Arsenal departure is Hector Bellerin. The Spanish full-back strongly aligns his career with the investment of Wenger, and, amid the controversy and the critique surrounding his manager’s tenure, may look to leave if Wenger does also.

If Bellerin does leave, at the age of just of 22, six years after first arriving in North London, then it would be another example of Arsenal losing a player that they have spent time, money, effort and energy in developing, only to see them leave as their career reaches its peak.

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Very much like Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bellerin’s potential departure would be extremely damaging to the ideals of Wenger. He is the exact reason that Wenger prioritises his development of young players. For him to then leave would detract from all of Wenger’s hard work.