Arsenal: Cashing in on Hector Bellerin entirely different to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

There is a growing number of clubs interested in Arsenal right-back, Hector Bellerin. However, while he might fetch a pretty price in the transfer market, cashing in on the defender is entirely different from offloading Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the hierarchy at Arsenal have a problem. He has been the club’s best player in recent years, is set to be the top goalscorer for the second-straight season, and is now the captain after the Granit Xhaka debacle earlier this year. And yet, despite his importance and quality, the club might have to sell.

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This is for three reasons: Aubameyang is worth a lot of money, and with other needs in the squad present, cashing in on him to reinvest could be a smart move. Aubameyang has one year remaining on his contract and is stalling negotiations regarding a new one. Aubameyang will be 31 years old this summer.

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Combine these three developments and you have a very clear mandate as to why selling him might be the best transfer the club can make this summer, despite his superlative performances and overall importance to the team and dressing room.

However, without any one of these factors, selling would be rather foolish. If Aubameyang was old, worth a lot, but also had three years remaining on his contract, selling lacks the same value. The same can be said if he was young, worth a lot, but with a short contract. Surely the ideal action would be to sign him to a new deal, even with high wages?

The point is this: offloading your best player can be a path to success. Liverpool proved it with Phillipe Coutinho just two years ago, in the very same January window that Aubameyang arrived at Arsenal, incidentally. But the conditions must be right.

Now consider Hector Bellerin. It has been reported this week that Inter Milan are considering a move for Spaniard. Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have also been named as possible suitors, while Barcelona have always been sniffing around the right-back. Some have suggested that Arsenal should look to offload Bellerin in a similar manner to Aubameyang.

However, there is a major issue with this approach: whatever money is raised by selling Bellerin, which would likely be in the £30-50 million, would need to be reinvested in another right-back. All you are doing is swapping right-backs. Now, if you believe you can upgrade on Bellerin, then there is some logic to this line of thinking, but in reality, is that possible?

Bellerin has only just turned 25 years of age. When fit, his performances have been promising and he still has three years remaining on his current deal. There is no reason not to roll with him for another season, see if he can prove that his body is capable of handling a full season’s workload, and then make your decision at right-back then. Bellerin would still only be 26 with two years remaining on his contract. Unlike Aubameyang who would walk out the door for nothing, his value remains intact.

Are there problems that Bellerin needs to provide answers to before he can be entirely trusted? Absolutely. But Arsenal have the luxury of giving him another year to prove himself without costing themselves anything but time. This is a very different situation to the Aubameyang conundrum, and thus, a different approach should be taken.