MOUR’S £60M MOR
Spanish giants ready to offer £40M to get back one of their own
JOSE MOURINHO will give Real Madrid a £60million ultimatum over Alvaro Morata.
Manchester United had a £52m offer for the striker (right) turned down but have gone back to try to broker a deal.
Morata is Mourinho’s top
BARCELONA have made Hector Bellerin their top target as they prepare to launch a £40million move.
The Catalans believe they may be able to lure 22-year-old Bellerin back to the Nou Camp where he started his career in their academy before moving to Arsenal.
The Gunners are likely to resist Barcelona’s attempts this summer. They are aware of their interest but remain confident of keeping him.
Bellerin signed a six-year contract worth around £100,000 a week last season, but that will not deter Barcelona from trying to make it a transfer saga.
Barca used similar tactics to sign Cesc Fabregas in 2011 and Arsenal will be concerned about the La Liga giant’s reputation for being able to turn any player’s head.
It is believed that Barcelona have already sounded out Bellerin’s representatives to try to broker a deal.
They may be prepared to offer Arda Turan (below) and Denis Suarez in a player-plus-cash move, but Barcelona will push hard. Bellerin had a difficult season at the Emirates and became a target for his team’s own fans after Arsenal’s defeat at Crystal Palace two months ago. The Spain international started at the Nou Camp before leaving for Arsenal as a teenager and has made rapid progression at the Emirates under Arsene Wenger. Manchester City were keen on him last year, but Bellerin snubbed their interest. Barcelona would be another matter, so Arsenal face a battle. Wenger is determined to keep Bellerin amid continuing uncertainty over his other big names. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have one year left on their deals and Arsenal are dangling £280,000 a week in front of the Germany international. Ozil could be prepared to run down his contract and leave on a free transfer next year, while Bayern Munich are chasing Sanchez, who has been offered £275,000 a week to stay.