Inter Milan ‘only prepared to offer loan plus option to buy bid for Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin but the Gunners want £15m’ for out of favour defender
- Hector Bellerin could face an Arsenal exit after losing his starting line-up place
- Inter Milan are reportedly able to offer a loan with an option to buy for Bellerin
- But Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are only willing to sanction a £15million exit
- Bellerin is in pre-season with the Gunners but did not start their first friendly
Inter Milan are preparing a loan deal with an option to buy for Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin but the north London side are holding out for a £15million fee, according to reports.
The Spanish right-back, who has spent his entire senior career with the Gunners, fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta last season and has been strongly linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Inter, now managed by new boss Simone Inzaghi after Antonio Conte’s departure, are on the lookout for a new right-back after selling Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain for £51m.
Arsenal want a £15million fee for Inter Milan target Hector Bellerin, according to reports
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter are reportedly only prepared to offer a loan with an option to buy bid
But according to The Sun, Inter are not prepared to pay a fee for the Arsenal right-back this summer, yet the Gunners will only accept a permanent departure.
Inter are suffering from financial worries this summer and need to raise £87m from player sales this summer, even though the club took out a £250m loan from Oaktree Capital in May just to stay afloat.
Former boss Conte quit the club just days after lifting the Serie A title with the Nerazzurri when he was informed by Inter owner Steven Zhang about the club’s situation, with Lazio boss Inzaghi installed as the Italian’s replacement.
Steven Zhang’s (right) club have financial woes that influenced Antonio Conte’s (left) exit
Hakimi’s sale has covered most of Inter’s financial woes while midfielder Matteo Politano was sold to Napoli for around £17m.
Meanwhile, Bellerin is facing an Arsenal exit after losing his place as a first-choice right-back option in the middle of February.
The 26-year-old started just two out of the Gunners’ last 13 Premier League matches as Cedric Soares and Calum Chambers enjoyed starting roles ahead of the Spaniard.
Inter are on the lookout for a new right-back after selling Achraf Hakimi to PSG
Arteta’s Gunners are preparing for a first season without European football in a quarter of a century and reports claim the north Londoners need to sell before they can add to the squad.
Bellerin has joined up with the north Londoners for pre-season training and came on as a substitute in the Gunners’ first match of the new season – a 2-1 friendly defeat by Hibernian.
The right-back provided an assist for Emile Smith Rowe’s consolation goal and will be in contention to play in Arsenal’s next friendly in Scotland against Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
Bellerin lost his place to Calum Chambers (right) in the second half of the 2020-21 season
