Hector Bellerin denies meeting Barcelona chief as La Liga giants ramp up pursuit of Arsenal ace

ARSENAL’s Hector Bellerin has denied meeting with Barcelona chief Robert Fernandez in London this week.

A report in a Spanish publication claimed that the La Liga side’s sporting director had flown to England to speak with the defender.

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However, the Spaniard’s representatives have denied the claims in Cadena that the Gunners star had a face-to-face meeting with Fernandez over a potential return to the Nou Camp.

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Barcelona are determined to bring in a right-back this summer and have identified the 22-year-old international as the man they want.

Bellerin left the giants back in 2011 after spending nearly a decade in their youth academy.

Since then, he has gone on to become one of Arsenal’s key men and is one of the first names on Arsene Wenger’s team-sheet.

The Gunners managed to tie Bellerin down to a new long-term deal in October, which will have increased the player’s value.

But that has not deterred Barca’s ambitions to get their man.

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And Wenger’s future, which remains in doubt, could also come into play when Bellerin determines the next step in his career.

The Frenchman refused to answer questions again on Thursday on whether he will sign a new two-year contract at the Emirates this summer.