The club captain of Arsenal Football Club and his manager Arsene Wenger have recently announced that Per Mertesacker will continue to work with the Frenchman at the club in a coaching capacity when he finally hangs up his boots after a long and successful football career next summer.
However, the two may soon have to sort out their differences after some comments from the German centre back reported in the Evening Standard appeared to contradict directly what his boss has been saying on the subject of the Arsenal and Chile striker Alexis Sanchez.
One of the jobs of the captain is to sort out problems in the dressing room and to try to keep everyone pulling in the same direction and from his comments on the forward who strongly suggested to the Chilean press that he wants to leave, I get the impression that Mertesacker thinks he should be allowed to make his own mind up about his future.
The BFG said, “He needs a break now. He needs to relax. He has done a lot for us. He played almost every game last season and then the Confederations Cup.
“You need to leave him alone to make up his mind what he wants to do. It’s his decision. If he feels good, comfortable, he can play with freedom.
“He has his qualities, you cannot find those everywhere. He has shown them and we have embraced him.”
Is the Gunners defender telling his boss that there is no point keeping hold of a player who wants to leave, even if he is as important to the team as Alexis was last season? If so, will and should Wenger listen?
Bob