Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin is only Inter’s third choice to replace Achraf Hakimi, who left for Paris Saint-Germain earlier in July. As reported by Corriere dello Sport (via SempreInter), Denzel Dumfries and Hans Hateboer are Simone Inzaghi’s preferred options for the right-back position.
Inter sold highly-rated Hakimi to PSG for a fee of €60million plus bonuses to balance the books and are now on the hunt for a new right-back. The Nerazzurri are assessing several possibilities, with Bellerin emerging as one of the likeliest candidates to sprint down the right flank at the Giuseppe Meazza next term.
The Spaniard has endured a couple of injury-riddled seasons and could be on the way out from the Emirates this summer. Bellerin, who joined Arsenal as a teenager in 2011, has amassed over 230 appearances for the Gunners. However, recurring fitness issues restricted his playing time last season, throwing his future in north London into a corridor of doubt.
Mikel Arteta is reportedly open to the prospect of cashing in on the 26-year-old in the summer. With Bellerin’s contract set to run out at the end of next season, the Premier League giants are ready to give up the right-back’s services for a reasonable fee.
Although the player caught the eye of Inter, the new boss Simone Inzaghi seems to have other ideas on his mind. The ex-Lazio manager has reportedly prioritized a move for PSV’s Denzel Dumfries, who enjoyed an outstanding Euro 2020 campaign with the Netherlands.
Despite his nation’s premature exit, the 25-year-old has come under the spotlight, drawing interest from several top clubs from the Premier League and La Liga. Given stiff competition for Dumfries’ signature, the Nerazzurri are also entertaining the prospect of landing Atalanta’s Hans Hateboer.
Another cheaper solution could be Davide Zappacosta, though the Chelsea outcast is unlikely to be Inzaghi’s go-to option.