Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to Hector Bellerin after the defender departed to Barcelona on deadline day.
Bellerin saw his 11-year association with us end yesterday when he returned to his hometown club to ply his trade at the Nou Camp, in what Arteta revealed had been a dream of the right-back’s.
And having been his teammate as well as his manager, Arteta was more interested in chatting to his friend last night when the move was confirmed.
Speaking in his pre-Manchester United press conference, the boss said: “He called me really late last night and it was more of a conversation that we used to have when we were teammates and really good friends.
“If you take away the coaching and player situation a little bit, I get back into that relationship as well. I love the kid, I love what he’s done for the club, he’s someone that I have really strong feelings about and I wish him all the best because I know that it’s one of his dreams to play there.
“Hopefully he can fulfil his dream and get his career back to where he can because he’s still very young and has a lot he can do.”
Read everything Arteta said in the press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United
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