Reports: Barcelona agree personal terms with number 1 target

What’s the Story?

ESPN are reporting that Barcelona have agreed on personal terms with their number 1 target this summer window – Hector Bellerin. Barcelona have been wanting Bellerin for a while and considering La Blaugrana’s critical problems at the right back position this has been their priority since day 1.

Barcelona are set to table a formal bid as soon as next week and Arsenal will be hard pressed to keep their man if he himself wants to go and has agreed on personal terms.

In case you didn’t know...

Hector Bellerin is Catalan and spent 8 years at his hometown’s famous La Masia academy - from 2003 to 2011 – before moving to London and Arsenal. He also spent a year on loan at Watford where he made 8 appearances. He’s also played for Spain through the age groups U-16, U-17, U-19, U-21 and has now made 3 appearances for the senior team.

His main asset has always been his pace, and in fact at the beginning of the 2014–15 season, he broke Theo Walcott's 40-metre Arsenal sprint record by 1/100th of a second!

The heart of the matter

Ernesto Valverde is a fan of overlapping fullbacks and Bellerin’s La Masia education would make him a perfect fit for the Barcelona. Arsenal are not ready to listen to anything below £35million and though Barcelona are unwilling to meet these terms up front, it is believed that they are ready to meet the desired amount through add-ons.

Arsenal have been trying to keep ahold of their speedy Spaniard for quite a while now but this just might the last straw.

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Author’s Take

Hector Bellerin would the first piece in Barcelona's jigsaw - Valverde has a big job on his hand trying to restructure his squad and success so early on in the summer window would be a harbinger of better things to come next season.

Bellerin had been hinting about the importance of Champions League for a player's career and had already said that Arsene Wenger's decision to stay would have no impact on his thought process anyway. All these points toward just one thing - Bellerin's exit and Arsenal to prepare themselves for the inevitable.

Barca fans, who may be wary of their former prodigy, fear not – his electric pace on the right flanks could just be the trick to unlock the complete potential of Leo Messi... we all know how well he plays when he has a pacy right back up in support of him.