Hector Bellerin is now a Sporting CP player just six months after leaving Arsenal for free to join Barcelona on a one-year contract.

Real Betis' Spanish defender Hector Bellerin reacts while sitting on the pitch at the end of the Spanish league football match between Real Betis and Granada FC at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville, on May 15, 2022. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)
Real Betis’ Spanish defender Hector Bellerin reacts while sitting on the pitch at the end of the Spanish league football match between Real Betis and Granada FC at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville, on May 15, 2022. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)

As Sporting CP sell Pedro Porro to Tottenham, they have brought in former Arsenal fan favourite, Hector Bellerin, from Barcelona.

https://twitter.com/Sporting_CP/status/1620544992497254401

Bellerin left Arsenal in the summer on a free transfer but, having also allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to leave so he could join Barcelona for nothing only to watch him being sold to Chelsea for €12m, Arsenal put in a sell-on clause for the defender of 25%.

With Sporting paying €1m plus performance-related bonuses, Arsenal are set to net a minimum of €250,000.

At the time of his move, the 27-year-old was valued at around €15m, having been worth €20m when Arsenal let him leave for free.

https://twitter.com/Transfers/status/1620482349124431873

What this means for Bellerin’s future is unclear.

He had wanted to return to Real Betis but they could not afford his wages in the last window. A one-year deal with Barcelona seemed ideal with Betis expecting to bring him back in the summer of 2023.

Bellerin, of course, enjoyed a great loan spell at his father’s boyhood club and spoke frequently about his desire to return.

In all, due to injury problems, Bellerin played just 494 minutes for his own boyhood club before being shipped off to Portugal.