Arsenal Transfer News: latest on Per Mertesacker, Top Rumours

Per Mertesacker reportedly wants to stay at Arsenal beyond this season, despite rumours linking the 32-year-old centre-back with a return to the Bundesliga.

Mertesacker has just one year left on his current deal with the north London club, but he told Spox (h/t TalkSport.com) how he's keen to sign a new contract with the Gunners: "A new Arsenal contract has absolute priority for me, but no dates have been set [for talks]. Arsenal has the highest priority for me. Everything else is pure speculation, and I won't join the discussion."

The speculation Mertesacker referred to involves links with his former club Hannover 96. Rumours of a return have raged since the summer, with the player even admitting back in June how he'd like to give something back to the club that gave him his start, per Metro's Sean Kearns: "It might be interesting for me to give something back to Hannover 96 because that was where it all began [for me]."

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Hannover managing director Martin Bader made it clear how both sides would be open to a deal back in October, according to James Benge of the London Evening Standard.

However, Hannover aren't the only former club Mertesacker has been tipped to return to. In mid-October, Werder Bremen skipper Clemens Fritz told German publication Bild (h/t Sky Sports) how Mertesacker had even talked about rejoining the club he left to sign for Arsenal in 2011.

Mertesacker hasn't always been a popular figure among Gunners supporters since 2011, but manager Arsene Wenger should still strongly consider keeping the veteran central defender.

Wenger knows the leadership qualities Mertesacker offers both on and off the pitch. It's why the Frenchman named Mertesacker his captain after Mikel Arteta left for a coaching job with Manchester City in the summer.

Wenger made the decision despite Mertesacker suffering a leg injury during preseason, an ailment set to keep the German out until at least the start of 2017. It spoke volumes of the high regard Mertesacker is held within the club that Wenger still felt he represented the best choice as skipper.

Yet things have changed with Mertesacker on the shelf. In his absence, Laurent Koscielny and summer signing Shkodran Mustafi have formed a capable partnership, with the former most often wearing the skipper's armband.

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Mertesacker will be hard-pressed to get his staring job back. Yet Arsenal still need his discipline, intelligence and authority in the squad. He'd also add extra cover at a position group looking thin behind Koscielny and Mustafi, with Garbriel failing to impress and 21-year-old Rob Holding still raw.

Gunners and Liverpool Scout Marseille Midfielder

Arsenal have reportedly joined Premier League rivals Liverpool in scouting Marseille midfield gem Maxime Lopez. Both the Gunners and the Reds watched the 18-year-old playmaker during a recent 0-0 draw with Bordeaux, according to Spanish source BeSoccer (h/t Alex Wood of the Daily Star).

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Arsenal are far from short of playmakers in midfield and attacking areas. Wenger's squad boasts young talents such as Alex Iwobi and Jeff Reine-Adelaide, along with established names such as Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka.

However, Wenger has rarely seen a technically accomplished pass-master he didn't like. This is also a manager whose career has been defined by a fidelity of building through youth.

Wenger hasn't stopped bringing players through the youth ranks into the senior squad in recent seasons. Francis Coquelin, Hector Bellerin and Iwobi have all made the leap.

The Arsenal boss still knows the French market well and it would surprise nobody if he took another low-risk gamble on a stylish creative player with the room to grow into much more.

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Wenger's squad now has the right blend of hardened experience and precocious youth. Maintaining the balance will demand keeping senior figures like Mertesacker around, while also scouring Europe for the club's next potential breakthrough star.