According to ESPN, Arsenal have activated a clause in Nacho Monreal’s contract to extend the Spaniard’s stay at Arsenal until the summer of 2020.
With his previous deal ending at the end of this season, the 32-year-old left back would have been free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club.
In September, Unai Emery confirmed he was eager to retain his compatriot and there was talk of a longer-term deal being on the table. However, in light of Monreal’s recent fitness struggles – he’s only played 15 times this campaign – it looks as though we’ve settled on a 12-month extension.
You may remember that Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky both had similar clauses in their contracts.
Aaron Ramsey, Petr Cech, Danny Welbeck and Stephan Lichtsteiner, who only signed a one-year deal, are also into their last six months and could leave for free in July.
Mr. Consistent…. Only if we can manage his fitness issues. Happy he’s gon be with us for a while until we get someone worthy enough to fill his boots
I’m pleased but also a little surprised given his injury niggles in the last year
At least they’re serious about ot letting deals run to their final year now
Guess that’s the reason for it.
LB should still be on our agenda come summer
If there’s nobody better out there who is value for money or can do the job Nacho does across the defence then I think it makes sense to extend his deal another year. He’s a great professional to have around the club and an example to all our youngsters coming through the system.
He also seems like one of the main linguists/interpreters between the Spanish and English speakers. Might seem like a small thing, but communication is still important. Think we still need a left back in the summer to compete for the spot. Love our Goat, though.
Glad to keep him around. If he can shake his injury niggles he’s a quite capable centre back, particularly as the left of a 3.
Indeed. Contract well deserved. He continues to contribute, albeit the game time he’s had over the past couple of seasons especially, seems to be finally catching up to him this year. Hopefully the recovery time does him good, and he has an injury free run till the end of the season.
Yung Crouch
Happy that Monreal has extended according to reports. Consistent, underrated, versatile player for us. Shame he’s had his injuries recently, but generally Mr. Reliable for us, chips in with a few handy goals as well. We do need a new LB in the long term, but for the next year and a half Monreal would serve us well
I’m so damn happy. I would have signed him for two years. He is someone who has a lot to give to the club. A proper player, will be an asset, especially with any upcoming young LBs we would be getting anytime in the future.
Hats off to him. Mr Consistent
Such a class act too. Always hard working and humble. I remember an article in the press about some of the players having a laugh because he drove an Audi.
Really pleased about this. One of our most committed players. Top man, Nacho.
Mr Reliable.
I wish Lichsteiner could leave on a free now, never mind 6 month’s time.
We should tie up Cech and Welbeck to new deals too. Even if we sell, we could still get decent money for them.
Wait… Aaron Ramsey could leave at the end of this season, on a free!? Why hasn’t this been covered in the media!?
This makes sense. We don’t have much money to spend this coming Summer and our defense needs quite a fixing. Having Monreal around can help depth-wise and also he’s pretty consistent up to this point.
Anyone else seen the rumours about Carrasco being offered to us? Kristoff Terreur has confirmed it’s true and he’s pretty reliable regarding Belgian players.
Don’t quite know what level Carrasco’s at now, he was very good at Atletico Madrid. He had a few cameo app’s at the WC this summer, where he played at LWB, but other than that…
Anyone think we’re after him? And that he’d be good for us?
I know, we need defensive reinforcements first and foremost, but we can’t deny we could use a winger as well.
Will be 33 nin 2020
He’s Nacho young, but Nacho shabby either. Good news!
Personally I would have let him go at the end of the season. He’s been injured a lot this season and his pace seems to be going. Letting him go and saving on his wages would help in financing new deals.
In fact, I would let Cech, Kos, Leichsteiner & Monreal all leave in the summer. We need to reduce the age of the squad and get new blood in.
Nacho earns 65k a week, for a year you will save 3.3m. Good luck financing some new deal with that.
And we are lucky that Kos has contract until 2020, so that you cannot let him go this summer.
I thought there was press before the season saying Kos was ready to move on at the end of the season… Maybe I am wrong…
My favorite from the current squad. Nacho, Nacho man. I wanna be a Nacho man!
Solid player, consistently a 7 out of 10. Has the odd inexplicable brain fart, but scores a fair number of goals so we’ll let him off
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You have an awesome name ?
I like Nacho, has become a better player since he joined. So glad he’s back in full training, he’s been a miss.
Bim bam boom
Nacho Monreallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
As expected, I think we will keep him on with another season.
Koscielny will likely retire in the summer.
Lichsteiner will be gone (not sure why we bothered with him in the first place with AMN a better bet last summer)
Currently we have Bellerin and Kolasinac on either flank with AMN capable of also rotating through both. Monreal will provide added security for Lback particularly (with Kolasinac better at present as a wingback)
So the flanks are covered and we don’t have to hurry a decision at Lback.
This has some impact to Cback situation as well. We have Mustadi, Sokratis and Holding in back 3. Monreal will also be available to rotate in. Mavropanos will continue to develop. A decision on Chambers will be made in the summer. Koscielny will be retired, Lichsteiner gone. There may be space for one more IF Mavropanos goes off on loan. Both Bielik and him are still young and will probably need another 2 seasons at least to fully develop which will put them in frame to replace Sokratis potentially (or Mustafi) Whether we add now or wait for more options… Read more »
NA-CHO, NACHO MAN!