Hector Bellerin has reportedly voiced his desire to leave Arsenal this summer in search of a new challenge - an Arsenal fan on Reddit explains why the Gunners still need him beyond this season.
Afccollin: "Hector hasn’t been great this season. He makes bad decisions sometimes, is stiff on the ball, and lost some of the pace that mesmerized fans 5-6 years ago. However, he’s still a good player, and we shouldn’t be looking to sell him this summer. I’ll show you why this is the case."
Comparison with the best RBs in the PL
"Courtesy of fbref.com, I compared him with some of the best RBs in the league - TAA, AWB, Cash, Justin, and Cancelo. Among them:
- he’s tied for most assists
- 4th in goals + assists per 90
- 4th in shot-creating actions per 90
- tied 3rd in goal-creating actions per 90
- 3rd in key Passes per 90
- 3rd in touches in the opponent’s box per 90
- 4th in Aerial Duels won per 90
- and is the only one who hasn’t committed an error leading to a shot/goal, or given away a penalty."
Comparison with Tierney/Cedric
"I love Tierney, but the fanbase seems to rate him a lot higher than Hector. Some even say Cedric is better. However, Bellerin has more goals + assists per 90 than Tierney, .3 fewer expected goals + assists than Tierney, has by far the best pass completion % of the 3, including the best medium and long pass %, makes tackles against dribbles far more than Cedric, makes more tackles + interceptions per 90 than Tierney, and is by far the best at aerial duels."
He’s more than just a "pace merchant"
"Some say he only ever was a pace merchant, which is untrue. Remember his run leading to the winner in the FA Cup Final last year? That wonderful threaded pass to Ramsey who assisted Auba’s equalizer in the 2018 NLD? These are all things that one could forget with time, especially with how poor we’ve been in recent years. But they show he’s got more to him than just pace."
Why we shouldn’t sell this summer
"Even if you still think we need a new RB, it’s not that likely we get one. The market, and Arsenal itself, is still affected by COVID, so funds will be limited.
"We badly need a number 10, ST, CM/DM, backup LB, backup GK, and maybe a LW, and will likely buy a few of them this summer. This means we’ll have minimal funds for a RB.
"On top of that, the replacements people want either have issues and/or are unattainable. Justin and Cash will cost too much and play for teams higher on the table, Aarons hasn’t been great in the Championship (Bayern/Barca only wanted him as a backup), Lamptey is injury prone (played only 11 games this season) and more of a wingback, and Mazraoui has had 8 injuries in the past 2 seasons."
Conclusion
"Is Hector the best RB we could have? No. Is he ever going to be the player he was in 15/16, never mind better? Maybe not. But is he still a good player that contributes on both ends of the pitch, is a key part of the defence with the 3rd fewest goals conceded in the league, and still has room to grow? Yes.
"For many reasons, Hector has fallen down the pecking order in terms of fan favorites at Arsenal over the years. But considering all I said above, how he’s stayed here 10 years despite multiple offers from other big clubs (including his hometown club Barca), and the example he sets for young players by speaking out about racial injustice/environmental issues, I think the fanbase should respect him more. He doesn’t deserve the abuse and some of the criticism he gets.
"Bellerin isn’t the best player, but gets way too much stick. He compares well with the best RBs in the league and our other fullbacks, showing he isn’t just a pace merchant. And even if we wanted to replace him, we’ve too many other positions to fill out and popular replacements are too expensive/have injury issues."
