Shkodran Mustafi rejected Arsenal’s offer of a contract extension in the summer and informed the club he plans to leave at the end of the season, Afriupdate understands.
The German defender, whose contract expires next summer, enjoyed a renaissance under Gunners boss Mikel Arteta last season, starting 15 of Arsenal’s last 17 games under the Spaniard before suffering a knee injury which required corrective surgery in July.
Mustafi, 28, looked certain to leave under Arteta’s predecessor Unai Emery, with the former head coach admitting that it would have been “positive” for him and team-mate Mohamed Elneny to continue their careers elsewhere.
Arteta was last asked about Mustafi’s contract situation in July when he remained coy on whether the German would commit to the club he joined for £35million from Valencia four years ago.
![[FILE] Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (L) runs with the ball as Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel closes in during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/000_97B779-scaled-e1703231851386-120x86.jpg "Liverpool host Arsenal in battle for Premier League Christmas No. 1 1")
“That’s something the club has to address but he knows my opinion,” said Arteta.
“I’m really happy with him as you can see. The way he’s playing, how committed he is with everything we’re trying to do, the level in his performance ever three or four days, he’s been really consistent.”
Mustafi hired a new Germany-based agent in January last year, with his father working for the same sports management company, and is said to be keen on a move to Italy with his wife’s Albanian-Swiss family living close by in Switzerland.
Meanwhile, William Saliba will be hopeful of being blooded by Arteta as the Gunners face a congested fixture list with four games in eight days – and just a two day gap between the Molde and Aston Villa matches next month.
Rob Holding is currently sidelines with a hamstring injury while news on David Luiz’s muscular injury that he sustained during Sunday’s defeat to Leicester is expected within the next 38 hours.
Calum Chambers and Kieran Tierney are both able to fill in at centre back in the meantime, with Brazil defender Gabriel playing in all but one of Arsenal’s European and Premier League matches so far this season.
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