Real Betis and Arsenal have reached a stalemate giving Edu a £5million ultimatum he must solve before the window closes.

A stalemate has emerged between both Arsenal and Real Betis regarding the potential departure of Hector Bellerin. Despite interest and enquiries from other clubs, the full-back has only one destination in mind, Betis.

With one year remaining on his deal, Arsenal want to make some money on the player’s departure. However, with the La Liga side in financial peril, they are hoping that the ɢυппeгѕ terminate the full-back’s contract.

This has not been uncommon with Arsenal considering under technical director Edu. The Brazilian has cancelled a number of high-profile contracts after reaching a financial agreement with the players and their next clubs. Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left without receiving a fee.

In a recent chat withfootball.london , Edu described these decisions as ‘investments’. Citing the importance of moving on unwanted talent as a key part of the club’s overhaul.

“If you imagine, ‘Oh, no problem: this season we’re going to expose the player a little bit more, and then we sell them’ — no, be realistic,” he says. “You don’t want to sell the player (but you have to) try to avoid one more year with the problem inside, in the dressing room, expensive, not performing.

“Clean, take it out. Even I’m sorry if you have to pay. To leave is better. Because that guy is sometimes also blocking someone.

“Take it out. I know it hurts. I know it’s strange when I go to the board and say, ‘Sometimes it’s better to pay a player to leave than maintain them,’ but I consider it an investment.

“Sometimes people say, ‘It’s expensive’ I say, ‘no, it’s an investment’. But someone will pay if you sell? No, guys — if the player is above 26, 27 and not performing, big salary, no chance.”

However, Edu has been handed a £5m ultimatum by Betis with Bellerin. The Spanish club are holding as firm as the ɢυппeгѕ on their position, according to El Desmarque.

At present, were the window to end with the situation unchanged, Bellerin would stay in north London, and Arsenal would have to pay the remaining salary owed before he leaves for free the following summer. Or potentially earlier in January.

It is evident that despite the willingness to invest in cancelling deals before, Edu is determined to try and gain some financial reward for future deals and not make the terminations of the past become a recurring theme. He has managed to get some investment from player sales this summer but not much.

Matteo Guendouzi, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno have all left permanently for figures below the £10 million mark despite all being arguably worth more. However, the market determines the value, and with little-to-no interest in Arsenal’s surplus players, Edu’s hands have been somewhat tied.