Most, if not all, Arsenal fans hope that Arsene Wenger is planning to carry on with his more expansive transfer business, which has seen the Gunners smash the club transfer record to bits in the signing of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid and then follow it up by spending over £30 million on the amazing Alexis Sanchez.
So even though it is not the sort of transfer that we have seen from Arsenal in recent years, many of us were still hoping that the Borussia Dortmund and Germany international defender Mats Hummels could be signing for the Gunners during this January transfer window.
However, the player himself seems to have ended those hopes, for the time being at least. A Metro report reveals that Hummels has suggested that there is no point in trying to sign him at the minute, as he takes his club loyalties seriously and he intends to help his Bundesliga club recover from a shocking first half of the season that sees them languishing in the relegation zone despite topping the Champions League group ahead of us.
Hummels said, “I have always decided not to leave. I think I have made some good decisions and I want to make those in the future as well.
“I have never said I will stay until 2024 or 2030 or whenever.
“But I have stayed until today. I will stick to my way of not promising anything and maybe leave someday instead of saying I will stay forever and then leave all of a sudden.
“I am not really know as a globetrotter. I have been with two clubs in 26 years. Loyalty is important to me.
“The only thing I am concerned with right now is to play better than in the first half of the season. I was not satisfied at all with myself as one can imagine. I have gotten offers from different clubs ever since I have been with Dortmund.”
It appears to me that Hummels is telling potential suitors not to bother, but come back in the summer and we will see. At least his position is clear so if Wenger was holding out on the possibility of getting him this month, he can forget it and move on. And the sooner he brings in some defensive cover the better. But who will it be?