Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has rubbished rumors linking him with a move away from the north London side and a possible return to his former club Barcelona.
The Spanish international has insisted that he is “very happy” at Arsenal despite attracting interest from the likes of Juventus. The 23-year-old signed a six-and-a-half year contract in 2016 and has developed through the Arsenal ranks to become a key member of their squad.
He has been handed jersey number two ahead of the new season and looks set to stay at the Emirates after pointing out he is not looking to play for another club.
“It is crazy that people ask me these questions all the time. A few years ago I signed a very long-term contract. I have never said that I have wanted to be anywhere else,” he said.
“I am very happy in London. I am very happy at this club. The club have made me who I am and gave me the chance to be the footballer I am today. So I don’t want to be anywhere else,” he added.
Bellerin will face stiff competition at right back from new recruit Stephan Lichtsteiner this season as head coach Unai Emery looks to hit the ground running after replacing Arsene Wenger in May.
Switzerland skipper Lichtsteiner joined on a free transfer from Juventus, with goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos and midfield duo Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira also signing for the Gunners this summer.
Bellerín is known for his speed. Using his pace, he is able to successfully take on opposition defenders as well as move swiftly to a defensive position. At the beginning of the 2014–15 season, he broke Theo Walcott’s 40-metre Arsenal sprint record by 1/100th of a second. He is considered to be one of the fastest footballers in the world.
He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 1 February 2015, in a 5–0 win against Aston Villa, and added a second on 4 April to open a 4–1 win over Liverpool despite also conceding a penalty kick through a foul on Raheem Sterling.
Bellerín was selected to start for Arsenal in the 2015 FA Cup Final on 30 May, helping the team keep a clean sheet in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium. He signed a new long-term contract before the 2015–16 season and played the entirety of Arsenal’s 1–0 win over rivals Chelseain the 2015 FA Community Shield. He was the sole Arsenal player listed in the season’s PFA Team of the Year, and came in third place in Arsenal’s Player of the Season voting. On 21 November 2016, he signed a new long-term contract after agreeing to a deal that ties him to the club until 2022.