Per Mertesacker: 'My priority is to get a new Arsenal contract'

Per Mertesacker has claimed that he wants to stay at Arsenal beyond the end of his current deal, which expires next summer.

The German defender has not played a single minute this season due to injury, and he may struggle to break back into the team due to the strong partnership of Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny.

Despite being linked with Hannover and Werder Bremen, Mertesacker has claimed that he wants to remain at the Emirates.

"A new Arsenal contract has absolute priority for me, but no dates have been set [for talks]," Mertesacker told Spox. "Arsenal has the highest priority for me. Everything else is pure speculation, and I won't join the discussion."

The 32-year-old joined the Gunners in 2011.