Arsenal right back Hector Bellerin has dismissed talk of him leaving the club as ‘crazy’ and says the Emirates Stadium is the only place he wants to be.
The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a return to Barcelona earlier this year, from whom he joined the Gunners when he was 16, but the Spaniard has now moved to quash any exit talk.
“It is crazy that people ask me these questions all the time,” he told the London Evening Standard. “A few years ago I signed a very long-term contract. I have never said that I have wanted to be anywhere else.
“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.”
OPINION
Gunners supporters will be overjoyed to see Bellerin pledge his future to the club. The Spaniard had an up and down season at the Emirates Stadium last year, but he remains one of the most naturally gifted full backs in the Premier League. He will likely face his fiercest competition for a starting place to date after the signing of Stephan Lichtsteiner from Juventus, but that will hopefully bring out the best in the 23-year-old. If Bellerin continues to be happy at Arsenal then the club know they have a quality right-back in place for the next decade. Although a return to Barcelona would surely be tempting, it’s great news for Gunners fans that Bellerin appreciates what the club have done for him and wants to stay in North London. The Spaniard’s statements should bring an end to speculation linking him away from the club, for the time being at least.