Real Betis respond to transfer claims for Arsenal star

Real Betis general manager Federico Martinez Feria has responded to transfer rumors linking the club to Hector Bellerin.

Federico Martinez Feria has denied speculation claiming that Real Betis are in talks to sign Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin on loan.

Bellerin is reportedly considering ending a decade-long stay in London this summer. Arsenal won’t stand in his way either as the club prepare for a major squad overhaul.

Héctor Bellerín is free to leave Arsenal this summer & is exploring his options. Bellerín would be open to a return to Spain & his representatives held talks with Real Betis on Wednesday over a move. Betis want to sign Bellerín on loan, while #afc want to sell. [@charles_watts] pic.twitter.com/tOKzEhq1cS

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) May 28, 2021

According to Spanish outlet ABC, Betis noted this and made Bellerin a top target. Manuel Pellegrini’s side need a new full-back as Emerson is reportedly on his way to Barcelona in the summer.

But while Bellerin is a lifelong fan of Betis, and a player who would suit the club, Martinez Feria insists a rumored loan deal is wide off the mark.

“We are not making, and I say this emphatically, an effort to sign the player,” he said at a UEFA event in Madrid as per Marca.

“However, he is among the positions we are looking for and is a player of a perfect fit for us.

“He could be a candidate but we are not talking to Arsenal at the moment about Bellerin.”

Bellerin has made 239 first-team appearances since joining Arsenal’s youth academy in 2011. He has won three FA Cups and three Community Shields in his Gunners career.