Justin Bieber will "always have a special place" in Selena Gomez's heart.

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber

The 'As Long As You Love Me' hitmaker and the 'Bad Liar' singer - who dated on and off for a number of years - have been seen getting close since her split from The Weeknd and Selena has reportedly always "held out hope" they could get back together.

A source told People magazine: "Justin was Selena's first love. He will always have a special place in her heart. She's always held out hope that one day the circumstances and timing would be right."

It comes after a source revealed Justin wants to "prove" to Selena's family that he has changed.

They said: "Justin is aware Selena's family is not thrilled they are hanging out. They think he caused Selena a lot of grief. Justin hopes he can prove to them that he has changed. He has changed a lot in the past few months. He is a very different person. They have a lot to talk about and are having fun catching up."

And an insider has also revealed that Justin is keen to "regain" Selena's "trust".

A source said: "He hopes to regain her trust so they can get back together. They have so much to catch up on. They dealt with things separately this year that made them different people. It wouldn't be surprising if they got back together ... It seems their relationship now is very different. Justin is certainly a much better person. He would be a better boyfriend, too."

Selena recently split from The Weeknd after 10 months together.

A source said at the time: "She and Abel have been going back and forth for a few months about their relationship. It's been hard with him being on tour and her shooting in New York. That wasn't easy on them."