Arsenal Transfer News: Hector Bellerin Blow Amid Manchester City, Barcelona Talk

Arsenal have been dealt a potentially major blow with reports suggesting that right-back Hector Bellerin could turn down an offer to extend his contract at the Emirates Stadium and leave to reunite with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the summer. 

According to Paul Hirst in the Times, Arsenal have offered the 21-year-old a new five-year deal—his current contract runs until 2019—that would see his £50,000-a-week wages almost double. 

But City and Barcelona—where Bellerin spent time at the La Masia academy before moving to the Gunners in 2011—are both eager to sign the Spaniard, whose preference is to "be reunited with [Guardiola]" at the Etihad Stadium, per Hirst.

During the latter stages of Bellerin's time in the Barcelona youth setup—he joined in 2003—Guardiola was in charge of the Blaugrana first team enjoying one of the most successful managerial spells of all time.

In four years from 2008 to 2012, Guardiola won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues, and Bellerin is seemingly attracted by the possibility of working under such a successful manager at City.

Both Catalan, Guardiola and Bellerin could be an ideal match at City, who are short on top-quality full-backs. 

The attraction of a return to Barca is also likely strong for Bellerin—per Hirst, club vice-president Jordi Mestre hailed him as "a great player"—but City seem to be in the driving seat to sign the young star next summer.

All of which is bad news for Arsenal. Bellerin is, along with the likes of Petr Cech, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, one of the key cogs in manager Arsene Wenger's Gunners squad.

He is arguably the best right-back in the Premier League—he was the highest ranked in the position in Bleacher Report's rundown of the top 50 players from 2015-16—and started 36 of Arsenal's 38 matches in the English top flight last term, per WhoScored.com:

Arsenal have historically lost a number of their top players to both City and Barcelona.

Recent movers from the Emirates to the Etihad have included Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Samir Nasri, while Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry and Thomas Vermaelen all left north London to join the Camp Nou giants.

As Hirst noted, Arsenal are stronger financially now than they were when they let those players leave, and Wenger is reportedly insistent that key stars will no longer be allowed to depart the club.

As such, Bellerin's future with Arsenal seems secure for now, but if he turns down the offer of a new deal and looks to force a move to City or Barca at the end of the season, the Gunners will be stuck in an unenviable situation.