Hector Bellerin reveals why he chose Arsenal instead of Barcelona

Arsenal 23-year-old player Hector Bellerin has revealed why he left Barcelona’s La Masia academy and joined Arsenal. Bellerin has been labelled as five of the 'untouchables' by new boss Unai Emery, alongside Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the Arsenal squad. He's also one of the highest regarded full backs in the Premier League, and it all stems back to a decision as a 16-year-old to leave the familiar surroundings of La Masia and sign for Arsenal. Speaking to Wealthsimple’s Money Diaries he said: "When footballers in Europe turn 16, they can sign working contracts, which means they can go abroad. I was playing with FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, and when I turned 16, I thought I would stay with Barca. "But I wasn't feeling like they were showing me on paper what they were saying — let’s put it that way. I'm not talking just financially, but also in terms of my path into the first team. "Halfway through that year, I got the call that Arsenal were interested in me. So, I went to London, saw the facilities, met with the boss, and they made me an offer. "Everything looked so great, and my path into the first team was clear — obviously as long as I worked hard and I was reaching my targets. I like challenges and adventures. "Even though people might have thought I was putting myself in a tough position by leaving my country and my family, it was actually quite easy, and exciting. The player has also hinted what he is going to do after retiring football career. "What I'm making sure is that I have something for life after. My goal is to get to a point where I can play football without having to think about how much I'm getting paid — a point in which the finance is not in my head anymore. "Some players, when they get to age 27 or 28, all of a sudden they get this thought in their head like, "I don't know if I have that much time anymore, so I'm gonna have to start investing.” "And sometimes they put so much risk into it that they end up losing money. I thought, instead of waiting so long, why don't I just start taking care and managing my money and getting ready for the future now? "It might be 15 to 20 years away, but the sooner you do it, the more ready you are when it happens."

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