Barcelona are reportedly set to include Arda Turan in an offer to Arsenal to try and prise Hector Bellerin away from the Emirates this summer.
The Catalan giants have long been linked with a move to take back Bellerin after he came through the club’s youth ranks, and it appears as though they could be stepping up their bid this summer.
As per Don Balón, Barca will look to make the most of previous Arsenal interest in Turan and offer the Turkish international in their package to sign Bellerin, who is valued at around €40m.
While it will take an additional fee too to perhaps convince the Gunners to sell, it still seems an unlikely sale given the progress that the Spaniard has made in north London and how important he is seen as being to Arsenal’s future.
Although he has suffered with a dip in form this season, he remains a widely popular figure at the club and given he’s still just 22 years of age, he has plenty of development and time for improvement on his side before he is considered the finished article.
In turn, that is why Arsenal should be keen to keep hold of him as he has the ability to be their first-choice right-back for years to come, while Turan has failed to really deliver on expectations since his move from Atletico Madrid and although he remains a top class player, it’s questionable as to whether he’s the type of signing to change Arsenal’s fortunes.
As for Barcelona, they continue to search for a solution to their problem at right-back as they have failed to adequately replace Dani Alves since his exit to join Juventus last summer.
As a result, it’s no surprise that Bellerin continues to be linked with a move to the Nou Camp, but it would be a surprise to see him emerge as the solution with Arsenal likely to be desperate to keep hold of him.