Is Big Per thinking about the exit door?
Whilst Arsenal’s incoming targets seem to have stagnated, our concerns with outgoing players seem to keep on rising!
We have had the concern of Hector Bellerin possibly being tapped up by Barcelona in the last few days and the issues surrounding Alexis’ and Ozil’s futures, which are still not entirely certain to remain at Arsenal football club.
Now there is another possible player leaving the Emirates this summer, but I’m sure it wouldn’t cause quite the same stir as the other three mentioned.
Per Mertesacker has been linked with possibly taking over the Captain’s armband for next season. He has shown that he is vocal and that he can read the game well. The only issue is that he probably isn’t going to be a regular starter for the Gunners next season. His opportunities may be so limited in fact, that The BFG has possibly considered his future at the club.
In a report by the Metro, Mertesacker is quoted as saying: “It might be interesting for me to give something back to Hannover 96 because that was where it all began [for me.]”
Of course nowhere does he say that such a transfer is impending and that he is even considering leaving the Gunners ahead of next season. In fact many players openly discuss with the media that they have aspirations of returning to the club where it all began, for the latter stages of their careers.
However what will be highlighted is that for Mertesacker, you can only assume that his career is coming to a close. The defender may only be 31, which means he does certainly has years on his side to continue playing for a few more seasons. But what is concerning, is his physical capabilities, notably his pace.
Mertesacker had never been the quickest player, we all know that. He does read the game exceptionally well, and his experience allows him to not be entirely hindered by his lack of pace. However as Mertesacker inevitably loses even more pace to his game over the next few years, then the beautiful game is going to be too fast paced for Mertesacker to cope at all.
Therefore with that in mind, perhaps Per’s career could be coming to a close sooner than you think. Could Wenger be looking to sell the BFG on this summer if Hannover 96 come calling?
By AH