Arsene Wenger has confirmed that club captain Per Mertesacker will stay at Arsenal for another season.
The World Cup winner’s current contract ends on 30th June, however, the club have triggered an option to auto-renew his deal for another twelve months despite the fact he’s been out injured since August.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s game with Burnley, Wenger noted: “He [Mertesacker] has an option [in his contract] that we have taken. There was no negotiation, just an option that we have taken.
“He’s back in training, not with the squad, but he’s two weeks away now.
He added: “With the number of games we have it’s important that we have all our experienced players back and that everybody is focused to do well.
“We’re going through a moment of truth now, January until May is five months to go. You want ideally all your players with big experience back in your squad.”
The Gunners have made a habit of including one-year extension clauses in the contracts of their veteran stars. Tomas Rosicky was retained for a final season last year and Santi Cazorla could well stay on this summer as well.
Mertesacker had previously been linked with former clubs Hannover and Werder Bremen.
Good guy, though can’t see him playing much. Guess there are worse back-ups when needed…
104 caps for Germany…
good for germany but i thought we were talking bout arsenal.
We are. He’s retired from international duty.
No qualms with this. Clearly much further down the pecking order now, but there are few in our squad with his leadership abilities. Only have to look at what Mustafi said last week to see how influential Per is on our younger players.
I completely agree, I think Wenger is hinting something by saying there was no negotiation, there was an option in his contract that we extended. There’s been a lot of criticism of us because we have a lot of players with 18 months left in their contract but we don’t know half the story. If you look at the videos on Arsenal Player that Wenger did after players signed recently you can tell they were all done in the same seating. When Giroud, Coq and Koscienly signed the Arsenal media released three videos of the same interview broken up, and… Read more »
Haven’t we learnt anything from Arteta, Rosicky, Diaby, Wilshere?
Stop giving out new contracts based on people’s behaviour away from the pitch.
Hand out contracts based on their contribution on it and their ability to stay fit.
Arsenal is basically an old boys club where players are rewarded for helping to preserve the status quo.
Always liked the way Fergie would try and hang on to the old players for a long as possible at Utd
Santi and Per won’t play every game but it’s good to have that experience around the club
I hope on vastly reduced terms
Don’t think BFG is that money driven to be honest but anyway why would we want to insult our club captain?
He’s been a good lad for us and we should be decent in return.
As you say if he’s not money driven he would accept 30/40k a week with an appearance bonus
Ild much rather spend the 30/40k saving on keeping sancher
Luckily the socialist wage structure seems to have gone, thank god we aren’t paying the likes of denilson and bendtner stupid amounts
Extending Mertesacker wouldn’t impact the Alexis thing at all.
If we extended Mertesacker he wouldn’t fit into the stadium?
Do you believe that his extra year, where he will rarely play, deserves to be at 70/80k a week? Because he’s a good lad in the dressing room? People talk about crazy money in football – we will be paying over 3m for a fucking cheerleader. We could have all the Dallas cowgirls for that
Can’t believe people are actually discussing whether he should/has taken a pay cut to stay on. Do you take a pay cut year on year as you gain more and more seniority in you job? Thought not. Yes Mertesacker might be getting closer to retirement, but he is quite possibly one of the most decorated players in the squad in terms of honours, appearances throughout his career and clearly has a positive influence in the club. Personally, I am glad he is staying on another year. I actually hope he chooses to go down the coaching route and stays on… Read more »
We can pay him 200k a week and it wouldn’t affect us in any way. We are the 7th richest club in the world, we have so much cash reserve in the bank. The reason we don’t pay players silly wages is out of principle not because we can’t afford it. The moment you go down that road you can’t get out of it, which is evident with Chelsea, United and City, who pay their bench players almost as much as our top earners get. And it’s not because “this is the way modern football is” or any bs like… Read more »
Look at all the players we handed 1-year contract extensions to in the past years, and tell me which one of them made a significant contribution to the team’s title challenge in their final season. I love TR7, Flamini and Arteta to bits, but let’s look at this objectively and make the right call for the good of the team, no matter how difficult or unpopular that call may be. Mertesacker has been amazing for the team in the past. But I think we should part ways with him at the end of this season. I think it is time… Read more »
Worth noting that we won two FA cups in their last three seasons, and all three of them were involved both years. Who could forget Rosicky’s chip against the scum in the third round? I also think it’s naive to suggest that on-pitch leadership is the only time a player can be of worth. These guys spend every day with each other, and certainly spend more worthwhile time together than you seem to suggest. That upgrade on Mertesacker you mention? His name is Shkodran Mustafi and he’s unbeaten in his first 20 games for the club. He cites Per Mertesacker… Read more »
FA cups are great, but I am looking at “significant contribution to team’s title challenge”. Different measures of success, I suppose. I agree that the players spend much time together and Mertz has big influence in the dressing room. However, what we are missing is on-pitch leadership to challenge for the title. That can only be provided by on-pitch players, especially with a non-interventionist or “Jazz” manager as Philippe Auclair calls it. I am not suggesting that on-pitch leadership is the only time a player can be of worth. I am suggesting that THE TEAM will benefit most of on-pitch… Read more »
So, we use them when they’re good, dump them at the slightest hint that they are getting past their prime then get upset when they aim for the best deal they can get when they are in their prime at the expense of loyalty to the club..
Mertesacker joined us at a period that was arguably the worst in our recent history and played for us with total commitment and loyalty.. if we want young players to emulate this we as a club, fans and management alike, must also be seen to show a reasonable level of loyalty.
I understand your point on loyalty. It is a noble virtue to have as a football club, after all.
However, I think the club has been too loyal to players and that is hindering us from achieving further success. I am, however, not suggesting we turn into a club that ruthlessly culls players at the first sign of past-their-prime. I just feel that we need to dial back just somewhat on the loyalty to players, if we are to step up.
To be fair mate that is exactly what you are suggesting. Mert was still an extremely good defender up till the point of his injury. Noone is pretending he was Pique or Silva or anything but you are happy to send him out to pasture and are not taking into account anything else he can bring to the table on or off the field. I get your sentiment just think it is rather short sighted. This deal is an extremely low risk gamble. if he gets back to full fitness he is a valuable member of the squad and keeps… Read more »
Depends on how you are measuring success. I’m a bit bored of the ‘x number of titles = success’ attitude. We have a self-sustaining club, not in debt, or owned by a billionaire sugar daddy. We remain competitive in arguably the toughest premier league in the world, play beautiful football and have values which are uncompromising. To me that is success, and is part of the reason I am an Arsenal fan. And it’s absolutely wonderful and one of the best feelings when we lift a trophy, but that’s like the sugar on a beautifully crafted cake, it on its… Read more »
You’re judging based on what you see on the pitch for 90 minutes, which is basically the result of everything that happens behind closed doors. Arteta was crucial to bellerin’s rise and helped Alexis settle in quickly. I think when a manager as big as guardiola hires you as part of his coaching staff, when you have absolutely no coaching experience that says something about you. And let’s not kid each other over here, Flamini was signed to keep Ozil happy, nothing less, nothing more! As to Super Tom, we kept him on simply to score screamers against the Spuds.… Read more »
@ January till May being important, so you want all your experienced players to be available. I thought he was already available till his contract expires in the summer. How does that justify extension to next season?
With Mustafi firmly established in first team and Holding showing potential, I am pleasantly surprised on this. Could this be done to permit a loan move for Holding?
If he’s contract was up in June then why not Base the remaining season on whether to take the option on his playing time or lack of it,are we just paying him for collecting the subs this does not show ambition to move the club forward,wengers tried and tested science has run its course we will see about loyalty when Sanchez does the off
Big Friendly German. We’ve got a Big Friendly German!
Love Per and what he’s meant to the team, but fear that his being extended will block Holden from getting his opportunities and experience. Holden has such a great upside, but if he is the 5th choice CB he’s not going to see the field much. Could be that Wenger will look to sell Per this Summer so he can finish out his career somewhere that he can play regularly.
Waste of a spot in the squad. Fifth best central defender, old, slow and not going to get any better. How many PL titles or CL titles has all this mythical leadership brought us.
This is sentimental claptrap and nothing more. BFG wouldn’t make the squad for any of the other Top 6.
Boo.
I think even Sanchez contract should also be extend he is the best