Bellerin heads home to Barcelona on free transfer

Madrid, Sept 1, 2022 (AFP) - Hector Bellerin returned to his first club Barcelona as a free agent on Thursday after Arsenal agreed to terminate the Spanish right-back's contract.

The 27-year-old first joined his home-town club Barcelona aged eight but moved to Arsenal at 16.

Bellerin played 183 Premier League games for Arsenal and collected three FA Cup winner's medals with the club. He won the Copa del Rey last season while on loan at Real Betis.

He has four Spain caps.

Bellerin replaces American Sergino Dest, who Barcelona loaned to AC Milan on Thursday with an option to buy for 20 million euros.

Barcelona were active right to the end of a busy summer transfer window, reportedly agreeing to sell Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea for around £7.5 million (8.7 million euros) with defender Marcos Alonso, a product of the Real Madrid youth system, going the other way.

Earlier in the window, Barcelona signed free agents Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen and bought Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.