Arsenal: So, does Unai Emery not like Hector Bellerin anymore?

Arsenal are reportedly in regular contact regarding a move for Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier. So, has Unai Emery changed his opinion on Hector Bellerin?

Earlier last week, initial reports suggested that Arsenal might be interested in Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier. I was sceptical of the rumours, primarily because addressing the right-back position did not make much logical sense for a team with a lot of needs and limited resources.

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However, this weekend, the rumours have picked up pace, with RMC now reporting that Arsenal are in ‘regular contact’ with the wantaway Belgian international, Unai Emery, his former manager and the man who brought him to PSG, leading the charge. Perhaps, then, there is more to this story that I first believed.

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On Twitter, football.london correspondent James Benge commented on the Meunier reports. He said that he had not heard anything either way regarding potential interest but did highlight that Emery is extremely fond of starting right-back Hector Bellerin, who, assuming a strong and able recovery from a torn ACL, will be the presumed number one option next season, Ainsley Maitland-Niles serving as a versatile and capable back-up.

Bellerin is well-liked by Emery. Earlier in the year, Emery ceded that his tactical flitting has been in part because of the injuries that Bellerin suffered throughout the year. Emery wanted to play a back four with an orthodox right-back but did not trust any of the other options at the position, swivelling to a back three with wing-backs as a result. So if a move for Meunier should materialise, it is fair to ask whether Emery has changed his mind on the Spaniard’s quality.

Meunier is a capable defender, an extremely athletic figure with the ability to incessantly bound up and down the right flank. He is offensively productive, as all modern-day full-backs now are, but he also does not sacrifice defensive security, with his frame and physicality coming in handy. But he is no better than Bellerin, so spending half of the team’s reported budget on someone who does not really improve upon what is already there seems a little odd.

Perhaps Emery has indeed soured on Bellerin’s quality. Or maybe the recovery is not proceeding as hoped and there are worries surrounding his return to the team. Or maybe there is another explanation.

Meunier would reportedly cost Arsenal around £25 million. He wants to leave PSG, PSG are happy to sell, and he has just a year remaining on his contract. The price should not be extortionate. It is plausible that Bellerin could fetch double that, especially if a bidding war erupts, likely starring longtime admirers Barcelona. Is Emery considering trading in Bellerin for a comparable Meunier and releasing extra funds to invest in a lacking squad? It is a possibility.

What comes of Arsenal’s spending at the right-back position remains to be seen. I am still extremely dubious of any substantial Meunier reports. But I have been plenty wrong before and I will be plenty wrong again, so watch this space, because there could be more logic to the move than first realised.