Hector Bellerin completed a permanent move to Barcelona on Thursday, spelling the end of his 11-year Arsenal career.
Despite being close friends with the Arsenal manager, Bellerin had found himself out of favour under Mikel Arteta and spent last season on loan with Real Betis. It was a move that proved to be successful, with both the player and the La Liga club eager to make the move permanent this summer.
However, financial struggles on Betis' side ultimately made it too challenging for that to happen, leaving Bellerin's future unresolved at the start of deadline day. Eventually, another side showed interest in the remaining hours of the window and the 27-year-old returned to the Blaugrana.
READ MORE: Hector Bellerin sends heartwarming Arsenal farewell message after completing Barcelona transfer
Bellerin spent the early stages of his career within the Barca academy before he made the switch to Arsenal at the age of 16. He signed his first professional contract after turning 17 in 2012. The Spaniard went on to make 239 first-team appearances, winning the FA Cup three times and FA Community Shield twice in the process.
Speaking in 2017, former player and current Barcelona boss Xavi was asked about Bellerin potentially returning to the club in the future, and it's safe to say it wasn't the most positive of answers. "I haven’t seen him (Bellerin) play much, but I’ll say one thing: it would be difficult for me to sign a player we’d already had," he told Sport.
Xavi then questioned Bellerin's decision to leave the club in the first place. "Yes, it can turn out good, bad or average. But I’m not in favour of re-signing players who have left. Why do they leave at 16 or 17? It seems ridiculous to me. I don’t understand it."
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