Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker has committed his future to Arsenal after agreeing on a new one-year contract extension with the club according to reports in England today.
That’s according to today’s report in the Times, who claim the player has agreed on a new deal despite not having played at all this season.
Mertesacker is yet to play a single minute of competitive football this season after suffering a serious knee injury during a pre-season friendly with Lens back in July.
His injury suffered in pre-season has seen him fall further down the pecking order after the arrival of summer acquisition and fellow compatriot Shkodran Mustafi.
Prior to his injury Per was the first choice center back along with Koscielny, however, since the start of this season summer signing Shkodran Mustafi has formed a superb partnership with Laurent Koscielny at the back.
The German defender, who the paper say was offered a £70,000-a-week one year deal, is currently still in rehab recovering from knee and a further setback of a calf injury.
However, Arsene suggested earlier this month that the club were keen to take up their option of agreeing on one-year extensions with both Mertesacker and Santi Cazorla’s whose contract is also due to expire in the summer.
The Boss was recently quoted speaking about his intention of extending both their contracts while emphasizing on their importance in the dressing room and off the pitch too saying:
“We have an option on both of them and I think we will take it,”
“For their qualities as football players firstly but as well for their mental guidance.
“We need to have a balance between youth and experience. They are important in that.”
Wenger has always been vocal about the importance of having strong leaders in the dressing room, as their presence is felt equivocally off the pitch as well on it.
Currently, he seems to be the fourth choice center back after Gabriel so it would seem Wenger’s reasons for extending his contract is primarily to do with his experience and dressing room influence.
However, as being handed the captain’s armband mostly leads to, his present extension most likely seems to be the last as he will be 34 by the time his new contract expires and might have to call time on his Arsenal career then. Moving back to Germany back to his old club Werder Bremen seems like the most likely destination for him.
He is a dressing room favorite and having him with us is definitely a privilege for us and it would certainly be delightful if he gets to lift the League trophy for us this season as our captain
