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Barcelona Transfer News: Hector Bellerin Talks Underway, Dani Ceballos Rumours

Tom Sunderland

The agents of Arsenal star Hector Bellerin are reportedly in negotiations to secure their client a move away from the Emirates Stadium this summer. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are said to lead the race for Real Betis' Dani Ceballos despite Barca's increased interest.

Bellerin has repeatedly stated his intention to remain in north London over the past year, but it seems pressure is telling, as German Bona of Catalan daily Sport reported the right-back "is ready to do what he has to to force his club to let him go" (h/t Metro's Mark Brus).

If true, that would represent a significant shift in the player's thinking. Bellerin holds strong connections to the Blaugrana after leaving the Camp Nou for north London in 2011.

Even if La Liga's titans were able to get a deal over the line, however, Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney noted it would not be a budget move:

Big transfer fees likely won't feature too heavily in Barca's summer window after signing Luis Suarez and Neymar to lucrative contract extensions over the past year, with fellow MSN member Lionel Messi in line for a bumper new deal too, per Veronica Brunati of AS.

Speaking to the media after Spain lost to Germany in the final of the 2017 European Under-21 Championship, Bellerin had a relaxed outlook on his immediate future, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard:

Bellerin's return to the Camp Nou seems to make every bit of sense considering the Blaugrana have struggled since losing Dani Alves to Juventus last summer, with Aleix Vidal and Sergi Roberto filling in as subpar replacements at right-back.

These latest reports suggest Bellerin is ready to take a stand against the Gunners in his bid to engineer a transfer, but one could question the speculation when taking his Twitter activity from as recently as June 8 into account:

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano of Italian outlet Calciomercato.com reported Real remain the front-runners to sign Betis starlet Ceballos this summer, although Barca and Manchester City are tight on his heels too.

It's well founded the 20-year-old has a release clause of just €15 million (£13 million), and Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe recently broke down the midfielder's best strengths:

Ceballos will have only increased interest in his services further by dazzling at the European Under-21 Championship, including a star performance in the 3-1 semi-final victory over Italy.

He recently said he was "frustrated" heading into what's likely to be the biggest transfer window of his career, per Football Espana, and he potentially faces a definitive choice between moving to one of La Liga's powerhouses or abroad.

   

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