The tag of ‘a feeder club’ seems to have ceased to exist for Arsenal, at least at this point in time. A wave of sheer unadulterated satisfaction breezed past the Arsenal faithful as their sensational young defender, Héctor Bellerín, signed a six-and-a-half year contract recently that will apparently bind him to Arsenal for a long period of time. The 21-year-old has reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000-a-week and by putting pen to paper, to evaporate the interest from the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona.
The North London outfit lost out on the likes of Cesc Fábregas, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor (to name a few) owing to financial stringency. But the tides of time have finally started to take strides in Arsenal’s favour, with the fan-favourite defender committing his future to the club.
However, is the scenario created by the contract extension of the youngster an exaggeration created by the media?
Absolutely not. Ever since making his debut against Borussia Dortmund a couple of years ago, the upward trajectory that the youngster has put on display is simply incomparable to anyone else.
Bellerín has transformed himself into a complete package: he has become a significantly important defender for Arsenal and at the same time, he hasn’t failed to live up to his standards attacking wise. In the system Arsenal use, the full-back has been their standout performer and has bailed his club out of trouble time and again.
Surging forward, Bellerín has more than just raw pace to contribute. He controls the ball well, dribbles past the opponents superbly and stretches the opponents’ defence which allows Arsenal midfielders to get inside or around the box with plenty of space around them. He dominates the wide areas and it is not the crosses but the perfect blend of movement and short passes in the final third that makes him a treat to watch when he launches himself forward.
At the same breath, it must be noted that he is an equally effective defender who rarely commits any sort of blunders. The Spanish international has registered 6 tackles, 25 interceptions, 22 clearances and 3 blocks in his 11 Premier League appearances, which are indeed some telling statistics. He doesn’t panic in the crunch situations and has bettered his positional sense and ability to read the game and no wonder why he is deemed as a rare breed of defenders in this era.
The nightmarish November continues for Arsenal, the latest evidence of which was derived from a 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage. More than anything else, it has been the services of the Spaniard which is being missed dearly by Arsène Wenger’s side (he is out with an ankle injury). Now that Bellerín’s contractual conundrum has been put to an end, the stylish all-around football should continue to get better to hand his share of contribution towards Arsenal.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
