Arsenal eye Tariq Lamptey as Hector Bellerin replacement

Brighton & Hove Albion's Tariq Lamptey is one of a number of players Arsenal are looking at as a potential replacement for Hector Bellerin.

The defender who joined Brighton from Chelsea in January 2020 has made 11 Premier League appearances for Graham Potter's side this season, scoring once and providing his teammates with three assists. However, injuries have been an issue for the young player with a hamstring problem having kept him out since mid-December.

With Bellerin possibly leaving the Gunners at the end of the season Lamptey, 20, is said to be on Mikel Arteta's radar as he continues to rebuild the squad at the Emirates Stadium (according to Football London).

Given the promise Lamptey has shown, Arsenal could face competition for the defender and it is not clear how much the south-coast club would demand considering he's regarded as one of their most valuable assets.

In the event Bellerin is sold this summer, Mikel Arteta will still have Cedric Soares who has proven himself on numerous occasions this season to be a capable deputy both at right and left-back. In the eyes of some fans, the Portuguese defender should be first-choice ahead of Bellerin at present.

It's understood that the Spaniard was considering leaving the club last summer with Paris Saint-Germain said to have tabled a bid but he was talked into staying for one more season by the Gunners boss and with that in mind, it seems Arteta has already been working behind the scenes and has identified Lamptey as the player he wishes to go after next.

Lamptey's explosive pace and ability to contribute in the attacking third would make him the perfect fit in this current Arsenal side but in terms of the transfer actually coming to fruition, there's still a long way to go.