Arsenal: Deciphering the murky Hector Bellerin waters

In the same day, Denis Suarez stated that Hector Bellerin is torn over a move to Barcelona, while Nacho Monreal revealed that he expects him to stay at Arsenal. Here I decipher the murky waters seemingly engulfing the Spaniard.

Hector Bellerin, like Cesc Fabregas before him and Thierry Henry before him, is the subject of some rather intense Barcelona interest. Given Arsenal’s tendency to acquire and develop young talent in the manner that Barcelona prioritise, it should not be surprising that the Catalan giants come swooping for many of their established stars.

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In equally similar circumstances to Fabregas and Henry also, there is great uncertainty regarding whether Bellerin would like to leave the club or not. There is clearly an attraction to playing alongside Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta et al., and challenging for league titles and Champions Leagues. But like Fabregas, he feels indebted to the investment of Arsene Wenger and the club, and wants to be loyal, repaying the benefits of his development.

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And many have had their say on whether they believe Bellerin will stay or go. In fact, on Thursday alone, both Denis Suarez and Nacho Monreal provided their insight on the situation. Firstly, Suarez revealed that Bellerin is torn between the attraction of Barcelona and the loyalty that he wants to show to Arsenal. Later in the day, Monreal was then asked about whether expected to see Bellerin return to North London, to which he responded emphatically:

"“He’s an Arsenal player and almost certainly he will continue here. Hector is a very important player for us and the boss has already reiterated that he counts on him. Now they will have to negotiate between the clubs and we will see what happen but almost for sure he will continue with us.”"

So who’s telling the truth? Well, I suspect both are. I believe that Bellerin is indeed torn between the two clubs. He would like to return to Barcelona, rejoin with many friends and players that he developed relationships while a youth player at the club. And he would like to stay at Arsenal, continuing to play under the extremely valued guidance of Wenger.

But, I also, like Monreal, to stay at the Emirates, at least for the time being. Before Fabregas did eventually move to Barcelona, there were a number of transfer windows where it was thought that he would leave. However, he spurned the chance, choosing to stay in North London each and every time until the summer of 2011.

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Likewise, I expect the trajectory of Bellerin’s career to take a similar path: he will remain with the Gunners for another year or two before eventually making the big money move to Barcelona. For now, though, it is extremely murky, unclear, darkened situation which only time can shed light on. That means that we’ll just have to wait and see.