Arsenal are poised to offload the wrong defender

Hector Bellerin struggled with injuries last season, but it’s still too soon for Arsenal to give up on their talented right back.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is trying to walk a fine line with the club’s transfer business this summer. He wants to strengthen his squad enough to compete for a Premier League title next season. He also needs to trim some fat off the club’s bloated wage bill.

Signing Willian didn’t cost the Gunners any transfer cash, but it will add another significant earner to their wage bill for the next several years. The specter of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s bumper new contract also will make it more difficult for the club to keep their costs down. That’s why Arteta has been given instructions to sell some additional players over the next several weeks.

Given Arsenal’s defensive struggles last season it’s natural that Arteta would want to offload some defenders. The problem is that he’s chosen the wrong one to sell. According to The Times, Arsenal are actively trying to sell right back Hector Bellerin to PSG at the moment.

Injuries limited the 25-year-old Spaniard to just 13 Premier League starts a season ago. Even when he was fit enough to play he never really looked his best. Much of Bellerin’s strength as a player is based on his speed and explosiveness. It only stands to reason that he would struggle while trying to return from a significant knee injury.

Arsenal need to exercise more patience in this situation. Bellerin has the potential to be a standout player at the right back position. His pace allows him to recover and make challenges that few other fullbacks in the Premier League are capable of making. He lacks the size and strength to be a world-class defender, but his ability to get forward and help the team’s counter-attack makes up for any potential defensive frailty.

The fact that PSG are interested in him should be a telling sign for the Gunners. He’s the wrong defender for Arsenal to offload this summer. Arteta giving up on him now could prove to be an expensive mistake.