Inter Milan are weighing up a loan move for Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin as they look to replace Achraf Hakimi, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.
Hakimi had a superb debut season for the Nerazzurri last term, registering seven goals and 11 assists from 45 appearances across all competitions.
Despite this, the club have agreed to sell him to Paris Saint-Germain as they need to balance their books before the end of the month.
They are now lining up a replacement and it is reported that they are interested in landing the services of Bellerin from the Gunners.
Bellerin is valued at €20 million by the Gunners. The Nerazzurri are exploring a season-long loan deal with the option to buy next summer.
Sportslens view:
Bellerin fell out-of-favour under Mikel Arteta in the final months of last season. Calum Chambers was regularly preferred ahead of him at right-back.
With two years left on his contract, the club are open to sanctioning his sale. They have their sights on landing a replacement this summer.
The Spaniard has been a quality player going forward, but there has been criticism from many fans over the defensive aspect of his game.
Inter deployed the wing-back system under manager Antonio Conte last season as they won the Serie A title after a 11-year wait.
Conte parted company after the campaign, and new boss Simone Inzaghi is being fancied to deploy the same tactics as his predecessor.
Bellerin could relish the prospect of playing at right wing-back, given he would have the freedom to attack with limited defensive duties.
The Nerazzurri are obviously reluctant to pursue a permanent move, and want to assess Bellerin’s performances on a temporary basis first.
The Gunners may prefer to offload him for good. They could decline the loan bid unless the Nerazzurri are prepared to include an obligation to buy.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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