LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Tariq Lamptey of Chelsea and Buyako Saka of Arsenal (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Arsenal have sounded out their ideal replacement for Hector Bellerin.
Come winter or summer, Hector Bellerin is linked with a move away from Arsenal. It usually involves Barcelona.
Guess who has been linked with a move for the Spaniard this time?
A rumour that’s been around for and age has reared its head once more, the hook this time being that the frontrunner for the presidency at Barcelona, Joan Laporta, is a huge fan of Bellerin and wants to make him one of his first signings upon winning the election.
This was the news coming out of the Sunday Mirror, with further developments since emerging. It’s been claimed that contact has been made with the full-back in a deal that Arsenal are demanding around £22m for, however, Bellerin does not want to force an exit and will at least see out the season with the Gunners.
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Barça’s elections won’t take place until January so any deal would be more likely to occur in the summer anyway, and as all good clubs do, contingency plans are being made should the 25-year-old ever leave north London in the future.
Hence why Arsenal have sounded out Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey as their number one replacement.
Bellerin has come under flak this season, almost as much as he’s received praise. As Mikel Arteta‘s side began to falter in the Premier League, this coincided with some poor displays from a number of senior members of the squad.
Picking out one particular player for is unjust as the torrid run of seven matches without victory fell on the shoulders of the entire team, although Bellerin’s form undoubtedly tailed off. Some rather rash calls for him to be sold off the back of those limp outings were unjust, especially considering how well he’d performed not a few weeks ago.
The reality remains that he is one of Arsenal’s biggest assets. In order to inject some cash into the rebuilding fund, it’s a sale that may need to be considered.
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<p>Barça’s elections won’t take place until January so any deal would be more likely to occur in the summer anyway, and as all good clubs do, contingency plans are being made should the 25-year-old ever leave north London in the future.</p>
<p>Hence why Arsenal have sounded out Brighton’s <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f4e433d4/Tariq-Lamptey?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tariq Lamptey</a> as their number one replacement.</p>
<p>Bellerin has come under flak this season, almost as much as he’s received praise. As <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://fbref.com/en/players/d934d1e6/Mikel-Arteta?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mikel Arteta</a>‘s side began to falter in the Premier League, this coincided with some poor displays from a number of senior members of the squad.</p>
<p>Picking out one particular player for is unjust as the torrid run of seven matches without victory fell on the shoulders of the entire team, although Bellerin’s form undoubtedly tailed off. Some rather rash calls for him to be sold off the back of those limp outings were unjust, especially considering how well he’d performed not a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>The reality remains that he is one of Arsenal’s biggest assets. In order to inject some cash into the rebuilding fund, it’s a sale that may need to be considered.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Details on Lamptey Interest </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-109952" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1229712478-850x560.jpeg" alt="Tariq Lamptey, Arsenal" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Brighton’s English midfielder Tariq Lamptey (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Arsenal’s Tariq Lamptey Interest</h2>
<p>As per the <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-transfer-news-lamptey-bellerin-23226397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mirror</a>, Arsenal have been made aware of La Liga interest in Bellerin and have been keeping a close eye on Lamptey over the course of the year.</p>
<p>It goes without saying that they’re not alone. The England Under-21 right-back has caught the attentions of sides all over the country having burst onto the scene at the beginning of the year.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/26/arsenal-vs-chelsea-4-things-learned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lamptey left Chelsea</a> in January to pursue regular first-team minutes, which he’s managed to accumulate since football resumed after Project Restart. Making only 19 Premier League outings to date, his short spell in the Brighton side has nonetheless made him one of the most exciting profiles to observe in the division.</p>
<p>Arsenal are joined by Manchester City and Bayern Munich in holding an interest, although any side wanting to secure his signature will have to cough up a hefty fee.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/TariqLamptey/status/1336381200026505218</p>
<p>Putting pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year deal in January, the Seagulls are in no rush to sell. As seen with <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://fbref.com/en/players/35e413f1/Ben-White?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ben White</a> over the summer, they command considerable sums for the younger talents and will do likewise with Lamptey. However, the feeling in the Arsenal camp is that Bellerin could accrue a decent fee himself.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean to say Arteta wants rid. It was him who convinced Bellerin to stay in north London and shun the advances of Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with his position unlikely to have altered drastically in the weeks since. If a call is made though, Lamptey is an exciting option.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> How Would Lamptey Fit in? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-109953" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1285978889-850x560.jpeg" alt="Tariq Lamptey, Arsenal" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 13: Tariq Lamptey of England U21 (Photo by Visionhaus)</p>
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<h2>How Would Lamptey Fit in?</h2>
<p>Frighteningly quick, it’s Lamptey’s infectious exuberance that makes him stand out. Constantly on the move at breakneck speed, tough challenges don’t keep him down long. Instead, he uses all that physicality like a sponge, soaking up aggression to then exude it himself. He’s like the Duracell Bunny.</p>
<p>Off the pitch he’s a very level-headed and kind personality, with those media appearances endearing further into the hearts of those watching. He’s a very likable character.</p>
<p>Is he a good right-back, though?</p>
<p>Primarily, Lamptey is used as a rwing-back in Brighton’s system, easing the defensive strain placed upon him and allowing for greater space to dominate the advanced right touchline. By all accounts he is an <em>attacking</em> full-back.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean he isn’t defensively sound, as smart positioning allows him to use his lightening pace to good use. Lamptey has a clever trait of standing slightly off the man he’s marking and encouraging them to take him on. Knowing he has the speed, he’ll win the ball back and in the blink of an eye use the turnover in possession for a counter-attack.</p>
<p>It’s by no means a foolproof plan, but when executed well is a dangerous weapon for any side to have in their arsenal.</p>
<p>Arsenal are ever so gradually drifting away from their back three system. On a few occasions Brighton have opted for four at the back, but they are quite regimented in their current setup. Lamptey is an extremely raw talent who can still be moulded a certain way, so there would be no great fears that he’d be lost in a more common right-back slot.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal's Tweak vs Chelsea" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/27/arsenal-vital-alteration-chelsea-win/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/27/arsenal-vital-alteration-chelsea-win/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal's Tweak vs Chelsea </a> </div>
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<p>Come the summer, <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/28/arsenal-hector-bellerin-replacement/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/12/23/arsenal-mustafi-shock-barcelona-talks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and even January</a>, movement is expected at Arsenal, meaning this rumour will persist until Bellerin’s future is resolved.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
