Arsenal’s very own BFG, Per Mertesacker, is just seven months from the end of his current contract at the Emirates, and with the arrival of Shkrodan Mustafi, Gabriel and Rob Holding the competition for a place in the team alongside Laurent Koscielny has got a lot harder lately.
The injury that has kept the German out of the team since the beginning of the season has hardly helped his contract negotiations, and there have been rumblings about a possible return to the Bundesliga next summer. But according to the player himself there is only one place he wants to be next season. “An extension at Arsenal has absolute priority for me,” Mertesacker told the German website Spox. “There is no agreement on timing. For me, Arsenal is a top priority. Everything else is pure speculation and I will not participate in it.”
But now the question arises, do Arsenal even have room for him? Who needs five centre-backs to cover two places in the side? With the big money signing of Mustafi at the end of the transfer window it would seem that he is cementing his place as first choice with Koscielny, and our keeper Petr Cech thinks this partnership is working splendidly. “We found a quick understanding when Shkodran came into the team,” Cech said. “When he played against Southampton in his first game, you get to know the player and his habits, how he plays the game.
“Him and Laurent are very intelligent players and have found a way to play together very quickly and you can see that experience.
“They are similar types of players, although they play a different way, but they understand exactly what the other’s game is and they complement each other very well.”
So, although Per won’t get many games, he is still our captain and a leader off the pitch. Do we think Wenger should give him another year just to keep him as a good influence on our youngsters? Or should we just let him leave?
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Hate him or love him, mert is valuable to the club. He has won it all and faced the best there is. I think mert should be given a new contract but one that focuses more on mentoring. He will also make a good backup.
Agreed with Gurrosco, it’d be very wasteful to just abandon all that experience. An experienced squad player can be vital to a team, not too many to find who has a world cup medal, if you can get them to wait patiently well then it’s a no brainer. I’m sure Holding could pick up a few things from him. I’m still not sold completely on Gabriel, I thought he’d become a good first team player but he is behind Mert still if you ask me. Five CB’s is a good number, might be hard to keep five happy but it looks like we might be doing ok.
We have 5 CB’s at the moment. If we give Mert a new contract, we should let somebody go… Probably Gabriel, who hasn’t really been too convincing. And then there’s Chambers who is doing pretty well for Boro, but remains to be seen if he can make it at Arsenal. Players will for sure being leaving this summer though.
Mertesacker is old, slow and spent. If we keep him now at his massive 80k-a-week deal he will just be blocking the progress of Holding, Gabriel and Chambers while draining us of resources. He should leave like Arteta did and become a coach it would be best for everyone.
He should stay till the end of the season. Thanks Mert
Gabriel is better than him, mert is not better than holding…..I feel more comfortable with holding and Gabriel playing but in mertesacker case, I usually develop nerves problem seeing him on the field most especially in one on one scenario…….his time is up
Errm are we talking about the same Mert who went unbeaten when he n kos played together for almost two years?…. Yh he’s slow but his experience is golden. Holding is a good prospect but lets just chill…… After all we get to call someone BFG!!!
he is a lucky defender, he wouldn’t have make it at any top team except Arsenal, that gives room for mediocrity…..if mert had played against Chelsea, we would have lost…..I hope mert won’t play for us again…..he must go
if mert was fit, general mustafi will still be in Valencia playing….. I was glad when I heard that snail mert got six month injury….his injury was just a great blessing to Arsenal…..He can’t bring the ball out from the defense….no pace, just too poor technically
You are an absolute disgrace, and no Arsenal fan.
Whether you want Mert’ to be offered a contract or not, to say you were “glad” he had a serious injury is beyond contemptible. His leadership and experience on and off the field has been important to the club.
Personally, I think even if offered a new contract he’ll reject it as he wants to play football, and can see him returning to Germany to get some game time. I’d like to see him retained in a coaching role, as his whole career has been based on awareness and positional play and is what has earned him 104 caps for Germany, it was never pace.
Of course no-one wants to see any player having to suffer a long term lnjury. Nevertheless signing Mustaffl has been a significant move and has changed the whole outlook of our team. We now play a much higher line and some of our football has been scintillating. I fear also that had Mertesacker not been injured he and not our brilliant new signing would be playing. I have never felt comfortable about seeing Mert anywhere near the team and hope that he will be encouraged to find another club. But you never know with Wenger. His loyalty is often misplaced and for me it is a sign of weakness. What I do know is that he is looking very smug lately and is looking to mop up asmuch credit as he can.
I was commenting at what Iffybright said regarding his injury.
I don’t think he’d accept a new contract even if offered as he knows he’ll be at best 4th choice and I don’t think that’ll satisfy him.
Proffetic, after we bought Holding and before Per got injured Wenger said that he wants three more at least, he said one more defender, one forward player, and we all guessed the last one would be a winger. Fans trying to get people to hate on Mert is ugly, saying things like if he was fit we wouldn’t have Mustafi. They can’t win the football argument by getting people on their side so they blatantly lie. Mert wouldn’t have over one hundred caps if anything your side rang of truth.
Why is it that yet another says that Mertesacker has more than 100 caps and for Germany, therefore he must be a great player. Why……I think that history will tell us that Germans don’t always get it right. Can’t you use your own judgement, and work out for yourself that he is simply not good enough for this club. Rio Ferdinand said he couldn’t see him being wanted by any other club in this country That’s quite a statement, don’t you think. No I don’t hate him, I just don’t want to see him wearing the Arsenal kit again.
Are you sure you watch Arsenal games?
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenals-shkodran-mustafi-is-the-finishing-touch-in-arsene-wenger-s-plan-says-rio-ferdinand-a3384151.he further stated that mertesacker is not good enough for Arsenal and not suitable for the Epl….mert should count himself lucky to have come this far….
injured players are saying returning and getting on the pitch is the top priority our good old paceless uncle at 32 see a new contract as the priority.
let Mertesacker go and then get me Van Dijk to offer a more effective/efficient rotation option n competition to Mustafi n Koscielny than Gabriel n Holding are presently.
I want something similar to Pepe,Ramos,Varane competition in Arsenal CB.