Shkodran Mustafi’s Father Provides Update on Arsenal Future

Shkodran Mustafi is way off the Arsenal first team.

It looked for all the world as if he’d battled his way back into senior contention with some much-improved displays in the heart of defence towards the end of last season, but a hamstring injury for Arsenal in their FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City cut short his form.

Far from excellent, Shkodran Mustafi nevertheless established himself as the most reliable centre-back at the club under the more pragmatic and resolute approach Mikel Arteta adopted.

Recovering from that spell on the sidelines to make his return against Leicester, he was at fault for the Foxes’ winning goal and offered a timely reminder of what he can, and can’t, do on a football pitch.

News emerged that Arsenal had offered Mustafi a new deal in the summer only for the 28-year-old to turn it down, with one eye on seeing out his contract and leaving for free in the summer of 2021.

https://twitter.com/MustafiOfficial/status/1324477835772338183

Efforts were made in vain over the recent window to ship Mustafi on following his decision, and with other central defenders returning from injury, it appears as if he’ll be a bit-part member of the squad at best this term.

Mustafi’s father, Kujtim, spoke to German outlet Sport1 about his son’s future, insisting anything can happen, but that seeing out the final months of his contract appears most likely.

"“Nothing is ruled out, we can imagine everything, because Shkodran is [available on a] free transfer in the summer.”"

Talk has emerged of a move to Italy for the World Cup winner, partly due to his wife living in Switzerland, although the outlet expand and claim that Mustafi would ideally want to return to his hometown, Bad Hersfeld.

Due to the latter, talk has cropped up of a potential suitor in nearby Eintracht Frankfurt, who are on the lookout for defensive reinforcements with a number of key players set to depart. However, it would require Mustafi taking a significant wage cut.

All signs point towards a summer move, which would act as another dreadful piece of contract handling from a club who insisted situations such as these would cease to arise. A player who could garner some money is instead going to walk through the doors free of charge. It’s not a good look. At all.

The only hope is a January move in order to accrue some cash and lessened wages, but it’s best not getting our hopes up for that. If Arsenal couldn’t ship him in the summer, they won’t in January.