Hector Bellerin has rubbished reports that he and teammate Alexandre Lacazette clashed at training on Wednesday.
Ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid, several outlets claimed that Bellerin and Lacazette had a heated altercation based on the below image.
The “story” suggested that a coming-together while challenging for a high ball caused tempers to flare and the players to square up to one another.
But the Spanish right-back took to Twitter later that evening to make it very clear that nothing of the sort took place.
Bellerin dismissed the claims as “click bait” as he insisted that he was just joking with Lacazette when the photograph was taken.
It's called banter you click baiters. https://t.co/ew4rYXgzkx
— Héctor BellerÃn (@HectorBellerin) April 25, 2018
Bellerin has recently been linked with a move away from the Emirates, with both Barcelona and Juventus reportedly keen on the 23-year-old, but a remark on the Gunners’ official YouTube channel earlier this week would lead you to believe that he’s going nowhere.
In a discussion with fellow defenders Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding, Bellerin claims that he has already told Gunners kit man Vic Akers that he wants a switch of squad numbers at the end of the season.
“In the summer I’m going to ask for No. 2 shirt,” Bellerin said in the clip.
“I’ve already spoken to Vic, he knows.”
