Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked with a new year move for Juventus defender Merih Demiral.
The Gunners and the Red Devils have identified the Turkish international as a possible solution to fix their leaking back lines.
And according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, cited by The Boot Room, Arsenal are considering offering right-back Hector Bellerin as part of a deal for the 21-year-old.
Demiral is keen to leave Turin in the coming months after a lack of game time under Maurizio Sarri and is reportedly valued at £35m, but Bellerin’s inclusion in a deal could well level out the fee.
Read Arsenal verdict
There’s no doubting that Demiral would strengthen Arsenal’s defence, but if they sacrificed Bellerin to gain his services, it wouldn’t go down well with supporters.
The 24-year-old has missed large parts of 2019 with a knee problem but is slowly working his way back into the Gunners’ first-choice XI.
He’s a very popular figure in North London, and with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Calum Chambers the only options who could provide cover for the Spaniard, selling him for Demiral would be a risky call.
