Hector Bellerin bid farewell to Arsenal supporters after completing a deadline day move to Barcelona. The 27-year-old was heavily linked with an exit from the Emirates Stadium having fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta.
In a heartwarming message, he thanked his previous bosses, teammates, staff and the fans. Bellerin wrote: "Hello Gunners. Feels like it was only a couple of years ago when I touched down in London for the very first time.
"From day one I truly felt at home and I've said time and time again how this city has shaped me into who I am, and how much I owe it. It's with a lot of sadness that today I say goodbye to this club, the fans, the staff, the players and our family all together.
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"There's been highs, so high, and lows, so low, but I've enjoyed thoroughly every single experience I've lived with you Gunners. It's not always been easy being an Arsenal player these past 11 years, but it's always been an honour to carry the weight of this badge and defend it almost 250 times in front of you all.
"I want to thank Arsene, Francis, the late Steve Rowley, Steve Bould, Neil Banfield, Unai Emery, Freddie Ljungberg and Mikel. Thank you to the staff who work tirelessly for us to have it all ready when we step onto the pitch.
"Physios, conditioning coaches, doctors, chefs, kit men, cleaners, security, and everyone else who is a part of this family. Thank you to the players who have made my time here unforgettable.
"And most importantly, thank you Gunners, thank you for your continued support throughout all these years, for how supportive you were in the good and the bad, for how enjoyable it's been to play in this beautiful stadium and for sharing together every single step of this journey of mine.
"With the sadness of a good bye, but the excitement of a new beginning, I say to you all 'thank you'. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner."
In a bid to seek first-team opportunities, Bellerin joined Real Betis on a season-long loan last year. The defender featured 23 times for the Spanish club in La Liga, guiding the club towards Europa League qualification and Copa del Rey glory.
Despite impressing, Bellerin failed to win back Arteta's trust and the north Londoners did whatever it took to relinquish themselves of the defender who had a year remaining on his deal. An agreement has been reached with Barcelona which allows the Spain international to leave Arsenal on a free transfer, as opposed to terminating his contract.
And football.london understand that the Gunners retain a 25% sell on clause should Blaugrana choose to offload Bellerin. In doing so, Arsenal have got a significant salary off the wage books, which could open the door to more opportunities in the January transfer market.
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