Barcelona has given Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin just 10 days to decide on his future.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona has warned their former youth product that they will move onto other transfer targets unless the right-back decides on a possible transfer, with Bellerin reportedly desperate to return to the Nou Camp.
New Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has identified Bellerin as one of the club’s top targets this summer, with the La Liga giants still trying to adequately replace Dani Alves, who left the club in the summer of 2016.
Sergi Roberto was the preferred option under former boss Luis Enrique last season, with Aleix Vidal featuring 12 times but former Barcelona academy star Bellerin is considered an upgrade on both.
The time frame is a difficult span for Bellerin, who is currently on international duty with Spain’s Under-21 side and concentrating on their UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they will play Italy in the semi-finals.
Arsenal remains reluctant to lose key players this summer, especially with the futures of star forwards Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still in the balance with new contracts for the pair yet to be agreed.
Barca is said to be ‘surprised’ at Arsenal’s stance over Bellerin, with the Gunners refusing to even contemplate the sale of one of their star players.
But with the paper going to claim that Barcelona apparently consider Arsenal ‘an eminently selling entity’ (a ‘selling club’) – with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song, Thomas Vermaelen, Alexander Hleb and Thierry Henry all making the move from North London to Nou Camp in recent years – they expect a deal to be concluded soon.
The potential deal has already been concluded as far as Arsenal is concerned, Barcelona just don't get it yet. Bellerin is going nowhere, end of.