ARSENAL DEFENDER HECTOR BELLERIN IS ON BARCELONA'S RADAR

It never rains but it pours, as Arsene Wenger has discovered in the last week or so. With Alexis Sanchez supposedly edging closer to an Emirates Stadium exit and Mesut Ozil's future still far from clear, the last thing the Arsenal boss would have wanted is for another of his key men to be heavily linked with a move away from the north London outfit.

Hector Bellerin first joined the Gunners' ranks at the age of 16 in the summer of 2011, having previously been on the books at Barcelona. He made his senior debut two years later and soon established himself as a star of the first team and Wenger's go-to choice at right-back.

The Spaniard was one of the Premier League's standout defenders in the 2015/16 campaign, as Arsenal finished second without ever being able to mount a serious title challenge; although his form dipped at times last term - he was even the target of abuse during a 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace, although that was primarily a result of his unfortunate proximity to the travelling support at Selhurst Park - he remains highly sought-after.

Not least by Barcelona. The premature release of Dani Alves, who unsurprisingly thrived in his first year at Juventus, saw midfielder Sergi Roberto converted into a right-back last season. Now, though, the Catalan giants are on the lookout for a more natural alternative, with their search currently centred on Bellerin.

Arsenal must stand firm. They have little control over the situations of Sanchez and Ozil, whose contacts at the club expire in just over 12 months' time. The latter may yet put pen to paper on fresh terms, but the former, a reported target for Juventus, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, looks destined to leave. Having finished fifth in 2016/17, Arsenal will already be forced to play catch-up in the six-way tussle for the top four, so they can ill afford to lose another of their most important players in Bellerin.

With the Spaniard tied down until June 2023, the Gunners must resist Barcelona's advances this summer. It could be the difference between success and failure next season.