BARCELONA have set a ten day deadline to sign Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin.
Bellerin is Barcelona’s top transfer target to solve their problem at right-back after Dani Alves left the Nou Camp in 2016 and Aleix Vidal and Sergi Roberto failed to convince in the position last season.
And the Catalans view Bellerin, who left them in 2011 to join Arsenal’s youth academy, as the ideal player to be Alves’ long-term replacement.
In November, the 22-year-old signed a new long-term Arsenal contract with the club and called the Gunners “my home”.
But Barcelona’s interest has remained and Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo say friends of Bellerin feel he is keen to return to Spain.
However there is impatience at Barcelona over the speed of the possible transfer and the report claims they will push to sign Bellerin over the next ten days.
And if “significant progress” is not made, they will drop their interest and move onto other targets.
Barcelona are said to have made an approach to Arsenal about Bellerin but have been rebuffed despite being a “selling club”.
Barcelona are hopeful once Bellerin’s participation in the under-21 European Championship is over, Arsenal might be more receptive to talks.
Bellerin’s agent Albert Botines is understood to have met Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, sporting director Robert Fernandez and club director Raul Sanllehi and new manager Ernesto Valverde wants Bellerin as soon as possible.