27-year-old willing to forego £4.2 million salary to terminate Arsenal contract this summer: Reports
According to Metro, 27-year-old defender Hector Bellerin is willing to forego his salary to force a move away from Arsenal this summer. The Spaniard has one year left on his contract, but is reportedly open to relinquishing wages to the tune of £4.2 million in order to terminate his contract.
Bellerin has found himself out of favor in Mikel Arteta's setup of late. He spent last season on loan at Real Betis, making 32 appearances and contributing to the side's triumph in the Copa del Rey.
The right-back has been at Arsenal since 2012 and has enjoyed his fair share of success over the years. He has won three FA Cups and three Community Shield trophies with the Gunners, playing a key part in the club's domestic successes.
He is set for talks 👀
#afc
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The North London outfit have strengthened their right-back position in the past couple of seasons. With the signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna last year and the resurgence of Cedric Soares, Bellerin now finds himself extremely low in Arteta's pecking order. This is despite having made 239 appearances for Arsenal over the years in all competitions, bagging nine goals and 29 assists.
The Spaniard has struggled with injuries in the past and was loaned out to Real Betis early last season. Real Betis have inquired about the possibility of re-signing Bellerin, but a consensus is yet to be reached. Bellerin is reportedly desperate to leave Arsenal, but the club is looking for a fee in the range of £8.5 million to sell the defender.
Mikel Arteta full of praise for Ben White's performance in Arsenal's win over Crystal Palace
As reported by Metro, Mikel Arteta has expressed great praise for Ben White after his display at right-back against Crystal Palace. The 24-year-old is a central defender by trade, but slotted in at right-back amidst the injury concerns faced by Arteta.
How good was Ben White against Palace? 💪 https://t.co/6CyllG5Iiu
With Tomiyasu out through injury, Arteta chose to use White at right-back. Arteta was impressed by White's ability to curb the threat of Wilfried Zaha and will certainly be overjoyed to kick off the Gunners' season with a win.
Arteta said:
"He did really well. We all know individually even when you are toe to toe with him how difficult it is to win the ball off him [Zaha]. The way he tries to play the game is really tricky.
"Ben has the capacity to play in different positions and that’s a big plus for any player."
Bellerin now finds himself as the third-choice right-back with makeshift right-backs preferred over him. He is understandably desperate to force a move away from London.