Arsenal's Unai Emery Reportedly Views Barcelona Target Hector Bellerin as a Key Member of His Squad

According to the Daily Mail, Hector Bellerin's Arsenal future looks bright, with manager Unai Emery valuing the defender as an integral piece of the current squad.

Garnering interest from Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid, there had been suggestions that the 23-year-old could be heading back to his homeland. 

With the moving on of club icon Arsene Wenger, it was questioned if there would be a squad overhaul in north London. The signing of Swiss veteran Stephan Lichtsteiner was Unai Emery's first, casting Bellerin's future at the Emirates into doubt.

After bursting onto the scene in the 2014/15 Premier League season, the pacy right back has locked down his position with relative ease. However, with Lichtsteiner impressing at a World Cup that Bellerin didn't make, there are no assurances he will be Arsenal's first choice next season.

Many Arsenal fans will be hopeful this is the pressure needed to push Bellerin's performances back up to peak level. A disappointing year left the Gunners without Champions League football for the approaching season, not to mention a gigantic 37 point gap between them and title winners Manchester City.

Already busy in the transfer window, Unai Emery went shopping in Germany, adding Borussia Dortmund unit Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Bayer Leverkusen shot stopper Bernd Leno. 

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With competition heating up in Arsenal's back line, Hector Bellerin will need to have his focus firmly on football. Many supporters have criticised the Spaniard's lack of commitment to the club.

After all this negativity it will come as welcomed relief to Bellerin that Emery has placed his faith in him. The defender has a lot to prove, and will hope to answer the naysayers with consistently great performances this upcoming season.