Stephan Lichtsteiner refused to be drawn on whether he’ll move to Arsenal this summer, and insisted he doesn’t know when his situation will be resolved.

Lichtsteiner is currently with Switzerland, as they play their final pre-World Cup friendlies. The local media asked him about the possibility of an Arsenal move when the preparations conclude.

“I cannot say anything about that [moving to Arsenal],” he responded. “Nothing is finalised. Will it be done before the World Cup? I don’t know.”

If Lichtsteiner is going to join Arsenal before the World Cup, it’s unlikely to happen in the next few days. Switzerland play Spain on Sunday, before facing Japan on Friday next week. Then they have a break of just over a week before their first game in Russia. That’s the one opportunity to get a transfer sorted before mid-July.

Despite Lichtsteiner’s insistence that he can’t say anything about a move, it does seem like it’s pretty much a formality at this point. Talks are ‘very advanced‘ over a deal, after the 34-year-old left Juventus on a free transfer.

It’s hard to think of many other top European clubs that would fit him so well.

Arsenal can afford to pay the full-back decent wages, they have European football (if not Champions League) and an open spot as a backup right-back in the first team squad. It’s a deal that works for all parties, so once they get the details right I’d expect it to go through without much trouble.