Shkodran Mustafi has admitted that whilst he’s still an Arsenal player with a contract to respect, he’s open to talks over his ‘next step’.

After a disastrous end to the 2018/19 campaign and a similarly poor pre-season, it looked inevitable Shkodran Mustafi would be leaving Arsenal before the end of the summer window.

When that didn’t happen, Unai Emery didn’t make much of an effort to reintegrate the German into the starting lineup. Mustafi still hasn’t played a single minute in the Premier League this season, despite some solid performances in the other competitions.

As a result, the expectation is that he’ll move on as soon as an interested club makes a reasonable offer. The player himself spoke to the media on Wednesday about his situation.

“I am still here,” Mustafi said. “I am a player of Arsenal and I’ve got a contract with Arsenal for one and a half more years.

“I have always said that if there is going to be something where it suits me and if there is going to be something where I want to make a next step then I am open to it and I am open to talk.”

This isn’t the first time the defender has suggested he’s willing to move on. Mustafi told the media in September that he was open to leaving if possible.

For now, hopefully, he’ll continue to give his all when he does get opportunities. Arsenal’s defensive troubles are certainly still an issue, so they need all the help they can get.