Hector Bellerin is set to become the latest Arsenal player to ask for his contract to be terminated prematurely, after Edu spoke publicly about the policy.
The Spaniard has been with the Gunners for more than a decade, having signed as a 16-year-old from Barcelona ’s academy. In that time, he has made more than 200 appearances, winning three FA Cups and as many Community Shields.
But Bellerin, now 27, is now a man on the peripheries at the Emirates, having fallen down the pecking order since the 2019 appointment of manager Mikel Arteta. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares are both in front of him when it comes to starting, with Ben White also an option to play on the flank.
His time with Arsenal looks certain to come to an end and he was even left out of the club’s most recent friendly with Brentford - despite Arteta playing an experimental side at London Colney.
Bellerin is desperate to seal a permanent return to Real Betis having enjoyed a season’s loan with his boyhood club last term. During his time in Seville, Betis lifted the Copa del Rey and earned an impressive fifth-placed finish in LaLiga.
A long-term switch to the Spanish side remains tricky though, mainly due to his current salary being out of their price bracket. That has left Bellerin’s situation at a frustrating impasse with just over a month until the window closes for the rest of 2022.
However, Betis news outlet BeSoccer report that Bellerin is attempting to negotiate an early termination of his Arsenal contract, which would subsequently allow him to pick his new club and accept a lower salary in the process.
And the Gunners have shown in recent years they are more than willing to accommodate such a request, having done similar for Mesut Ozil, Willian and most recently, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Technical director Edu has offered a glimpse into that decision-making process, labelling the hefty contract payouts as “investments” and hinting he wouldn’t be afraid to do the same again.
"If you imagine, ‘Oh, no problem: this season we’re going to expose the player a little bit more and then we sell them’ — no, be realistic. You don’t want to sell the player," the Brazilian told the Athletic. "Try to avoid one more year with the problem inside, in the dressing room, expensive, not performing. Clean, take it out. I’m sorry, if you have to pay. To leave is better. Because that guy is sometimes also blocking someone."
He added: "I know it hurts, I know it’s strange when I go to the board and say, ‘Sometimes it’s better to pay a player to leave, than maintain them’. But I consider it an investment. Sometimes people say, ‘It’s expensive’. I say, ‘No, it’s investment’. But will someone pay if you sell? No, guys — if the player is above 26, 27 and not performing, big salary, no chance."
Having spent more than £100million for the second successive summer, the remainder of Arsenal’s transfer window now appears to be dedicated to trimming Arteta’s squad. Some of those set to leave - like Bernd Leno - should command a fee, but Edu may be forced to get creative to ensure they are ready to go for the new Premier League campaign.
