Juventus are looking at Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin as a top target in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to Tuttosport, Juventus are eyeing a sensational move for Hector Bellerin from Arsenal in the summer to bolster their defence and replace some of their ageing stars in the next season.
Juventus are expecting many of their stars to leave next summer and are already proactively looking into the market for replacements. Of the list, Stephen Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah are the essential defensive departures expected at the end of the season, and the Turin side feels Hector Bellerin could be the man to replace them.
Juventus want fresh players in their backline as they approach a period where they feel a cycle is about to end for the Old Lady. Juventus’ formidable defence cannot shy away from the fact that they are ageing and at some point, they have to depart or make way for the next generation of players to take up their places.
They have been actively scouting for new players, and Hector Bellerin is on top of their list of full-back targets. Since the departure of Dani Alves to PSG and the fading form of Stephen Lichtsteiner, Manager Max Allegri wants special players at right back, knowing very well in today’s market such players are a rarity.
Hector Bellerin has been the rising star of an inconsistent Arsenal set up. Bellerin has become an undisputed starter for the Gunners since his breakthrough in 2014, making more than 100 Premier League appearances for the North London outfit and scoring six goals.
His form has been such that, last summer Barcelona were heavily linked with a return for their former academy product. There were even suggestions of a swap deal involving Rafinha, but nothing materialised in the end, and Hector Bellerin stayed put.
Juventus too were interested but were put off by a £40 million price tag, as Bellerin has a deal till 2023 which he signed in December 2016. Despite the long-term contract, Barcelona were curious to test Arsenal’s resolve and like Juventus, may come back for Bellerin in the Summer. Arsene Wenger, however, is expected to reject any advances for his Spanish star, unless some unusual offer comes to the table.
A fee of more than £40 million suggested, considering his age and the time left on his current deal, Arsenal would demand close to £70 million or at least close to what Juventus are themselves demanding for their wing-back Alex Sandro, who is also expected to leave Italy for England.
Bellerin would be a good fit at Juventus, due to his pace and great play with the ball. Although he has struggled a bit this season, mostly due to the positional and formation changes that Wenger has ringed to the Arsenal side. But otherwise, he is quite a solid player in both attack and defence.
