While Per Mertesacker hasn’t ruled out a return to former club Hannover, the centre-back says he has business to finalise at Arsenal first.
- Mertesacker has awkward encounter with Martin Keown and slams his other critics
- Pundit: Mertesacker should be Arsenal’s player of the year
- Per Mertesacker clarifies retirement claims
- BFG open to Hannover 96 return… but not yet
Mertesacker has been talking about his potential future in a non-playing role at Arsenal. While the 32-year-old has a year left on his current Arsenal contract, his latest comments suggest that he’s in talks with the Gunners over taking a backseat.
He appears to realise that he’s not getting in the first team again, but he’s sort of okay with that, and plans on learning to help from the ‘other side’ – the non-playing side.
When asked about whether he would consider doing the same at Hannover, the BFG made it clear that his focus is on Arsenal right now.
“The relationship to Hannover will never be lost,” he told Sport Buzzer.
“I will always think about what you can do here. But for me it is now only time to finalize the matter with Arsenal. I need to gain practice experience in areas where I have not been.
“I’m a footballer and not an official. To get a footballer and to believe, he does it somehow, so I’m not knitted. I want to learn from a small age on what it means to work in a club.”
Mertesacker played at Hannover, now of the Bundesliga 2, in his youth and continued there until he signed for Werder Bremen in 2006.
In total, the defender made 74 league appearances for the first team, and since he was born locally, it’s no wonder that one day he’s open to a return.