Arsenal confident of keeping Bellerin amidst Barcelona interest

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set for a busy summer having signed a new two year deal at the club with an overhaul of his playing staff in mind before the start of the new season.

Whilst bringing in new top players will be a big priority for the Frenchman, holding onto key members of the current squad must also command Wenger’s time.

Despite having fallen out of the side in the last few weeks of the season due to a change in system, Spaniard Hector Bellerin falls into the bracket of those who must be kept.

The 22-year-old has developed into one of the top young full-backs in European football since moving to north London from Barcelona in 2011.

However, his rise to the top has attracted interest from the Catalan club which let him go six years ago. Reports have suggested the Spanish giants are looking to land a £45m deal for the Arsenal man this summer, regardless of the fact that he penned a new six-year-deal earlier in the season.

While interest from a club the stature of Barcelona would turn anyone’s head the Gunners are confident of winning the battle and keeping hold of their man, according to James Olley from the London Evening Standard.

The report claims that the club are yet to receive any offers for Bellerin and that the manager has no interest in selling a player he sees as ‘central’ to his plans going forward.