FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 First Leg - Olympiacos v Arsenal - Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece - March 11, 2021 Arsenal's Hector Bellerin during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
(Reuters) - Hector Bellerin has returned to Barcelona on a one-year deal after terminating his contract with Arsenal, the LaLiga club announced on Thursday.
The Spanish right back, a product of Barca's La Masia academy who left for Arsenal in 2011, spent last season on loan at Real Betis and won the Copa del Rey.
"FC Barcelona and Hector Bellerín have reached an agreement to sign the player, after the defender terminated his contract with Arsenal Football Club," Barca said in a statement.
"The player will sign a contract until 30 June 2023 and the buyout clause has been set at 50 million euros ($49.72 million)," added the LaLiga club, who sent full back Sergino Dest out on loan to AC Milan earlier on Thursday.
Bellerin, 27, made 239 first-team appearances for Arsenal, winning the FA Cup three times.
"Feels like it was only a couple of years ago when I touched down in London for the very first time," the defender wrote on Twitter. "It's with a lot of sadness that I say goodbye to this club."
Third-placed Barca, who have seven points after three league games, travel to Sevilla on Saturday.
($1 = 1.0056 euros)
(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
