Last month I wrote a piece here about the importance of securing Hector Bellerin’s future with a new contract. A few weeks ago we broke a story on Arseblog News about how new terms had been agreed. Yesterday, it was all made official as both Arsenal and Bellerin himself broke the news that his new deal was signed, sealed and delivered.
A social media announcement followed by Bellerin doing a Snapchat giveaway – it doesn’t get more 2016 than that (unless Hector had then been run over by a bus, stupid 2016). It was modern, I think is the the point I’m trying to make, and ultimately it’s fantastic news.
There had been serious interest from Manchester City last summer but they were told, quite literally, where to go and what to do with themselves with a pithy two word phrase – the second of which was ‘off’. Barcelona and the Barcelona DNA and the Barcelona press may have over-egged the pudding a bit from over there, but look at what a fantastic young talent he is and any links to any club would be understandable. Who wouldn’t want a player of that potential?
However, his progress and development into one of the team’s most important assets, and a player who has become integral into how we want to play, was rewarded with a bumper new deal worth around £100,000 a week. Some reports say it’s a six and a half year deal, and the player himself says the only thing he was only ever thinking about was staying at Arsenal. He said:
I wasn’t thinking about anything else other than staying here and continuing my development. This is my home. The club who gave me my first opportunity. The club I will be at for many years.
Now I’ve just got to keep on progressing, keep working hard to be the best player I can be, and hopefully help the team to be where its got to be, to win some silverware. That’s what everyone wants and that’s what I’m working towards.
While Arsene Wenger sounded pleased as punch, saying:
Arsenal has been fantastic for Hector as well because he went through some difficult moments in his career and we kept always faith in him. On that front, Hector was loyal and envisages his career here and I think it’s a fantastic move for Hector and for the club. Both are winners in this deal.
Before talking up how he’s improved as a player since breaking into the first team properly early in the 2014-15 season:
He’s developed very well his defensive qualities and he is more offensive and much more decisive in his offensive game. His physical potential is absolutely huge, not only is he quick but he can repeat. He can put the volume and the intensity into his game and you do not meet that often in your career.
So, here’s my round-up of this whole thing:
1 – Hector is really good at football.
2 – Hector seems like a pretty terrific young man.
3 – I like it when those two things are combined.
4 – It’s a genuine recognition of how far he’s come in such a short space of time. No dicking around, no messing, no wait and see. The talent and potential is obvious, and we’ve secured his future in red and white for many years to come, hopefully.
6 – Get well soon Hector because he’s injured.
7 – Manchester City can stick it up their bum.
8 – And so can Barcelona.
I think that’s pretty much covered everything. Of course we do have to do without him for the next few weeks because of pesky ankle ligament damage, and with PSG on Wednesday night, it seems likely that Carl Jenkinson will be the man to continue to deputise. Despite Mathieu Debuchy making a goalscoring comeback against Sp*rs U23s last week, a game of this intensity is probably a bit too much too soon for him.
It’ll be another stiff test for Jenkinson, not long back from injury himself, but despite a nervous start against United last week, did pretty well defensively. While he doesn’t give you the same potency going forward as Bellerin, he’s still capable of putting in a decent cross from out right and if Olivier Giroud is given the nod up front, then that might suit him just fine.
We’ll find out today, when the manager meets the press, what his thinking might be in that regard. Will Alexis Sanchez’s hamstring stand up to another game so soon after the international break and then 90 minutes at Old Trafford? This is a big fixture, of course, but some measure of caution needs to be part of the decision making process as we have plenty of football left to play this season. We don’t know if there are any other little niggles from the United game, and there’s the issue of what to do in midfield.
We’ll have all the news from the press conference over on Arseblog News later this morning. For some extra reading, check out this week’s Tactics Column in which Anam looks back at that 1-1 draw and why Arsenal’s performance was so lacking in attacking verve.
Finally for today, a reminder that we’re doing a live Arsecast on Thursday at the Garage, Highbury & Islington. Join myself and James, along with guests Amy Lawrence and Philippe Auclair for an evening of Arsenal related chat, waffle, jazz-stylings, beat poetry and interpretive dance. Please note: some of those things may not actually be part of the show.
There are only a few tickets left, so if you want to come along get yours here asap. And to get you through a cold morning, here’s this week’s Arsecast Extra with James, talking about Giroud, Aaron Ramsey, the United game, great headers and lots more.
Download – iTunes – Acast – RSS
This Arsecast Extra was recorded with ipDTL.
Have a good one, an early PSG preview from me tomorrow. Until then.
