Arsenal receive Hector Bellerin offer from Emery’s Villarreal

The race for Hector Bellerin’s signature with clubs in Spain and Italy making their move towards signing the Arsenal right-back, with the latest offer coming courtesy of none other than Unai Emery’s Villarreal.

It’s just a matter of when as opposed to if now as Bellerin edges closer to the exit door. Being resigned – not in a bad way – to his inevitable departure makes the whole situation actually somewhat fun. Fun, that is, working on the basis he leaves at a reasonable point in the window and for the fee Arsenal want. Of course.

So far Atletico Madrid have thrown their hat in the ring as they look at a potential replacement for Kieran Trippier, who is edging ever closer to a Premier League return with Manchester United.

The usual suspects of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Juventus haven’t really been in the picture this time around, perhaps given Bellerin’s indifferent form, which has opened the door to other names across the continent.

Arsenal receive Hector Bellerin offer from Unai Emery’s Villarreal as La Liga and Serie A sides chase summer transfer

Real Betis are trying but haven’t got the financial backing to pull a deal off, with the latest developments being that Villarreal have submitted and offer to the defender. Sevilla are also on the case, reports Sky Italia’s Matteo Moretto.

It would be a move that makes absolute sense.

The Yellow Submarine have just made it into the Champions League and there will be a vacancy in the right-back slot with first choice option Juan Foyth only on loan from Tottenham. Does the club have the £20m asking price? It’s likely they’ll start aiming for lower.

As a fit, Emery always favoured Bellerin and some of the Spaniard’s best form came under his management in 2018/19 prior to his awful cruciate ligament rupture. He was handed the chance to wear the captain’s armband not long after his return, although he never recaptured that pre-injury form.

Most encouraging of all is the amount of interest. For the sake of the bank balance, any semblance of a bidding war will only work in Arsenal’s favour; so, the more the merrier. And, Emery? There is something bizarrely romantic about the idea of Bellerin reuniting with his former boss. Villa Real is not to far from the 25-year-old’s hometown either so if a deal can be struck it will make for an amicable conclusion.