Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has conceded that there is still some uncertainty over his future at the club despite the boost of Mikel Arteta’s appointment.
The 27-year-old has made just 18 appearances so far this season, but after being largely snubbed at the start of the campaign by Unai Emery, he has enjoyed a turnaround under Arteta.
SEE MORE: ‘You never know in football’ – Arsenal star’s agent coy over future amid exit talk
Mustafi completed a full 90 minutes in five of the last six Premier League games before the season was suspended, although it remains to be seen if he has cemented his place in the Arsenal manager’s plans for the long-term future off the back of that run.
The German international’s current contract expires in 2021, and so naturally, the Gunners will perhaps be keen to avoid seeing him enter the final 12 months of his deal which in turn raises the risk of eventually losing him for nothing if a new agreement isn’t found.
Mustafi sounded positive about the way things have turned around under Arteta, but he added that it still isn’t clear what his long-term future holds at the Emirates.
“I’ve played more regularly under Mikel Arteta, also in the Premier League. That has really helped me. I feel very good. I understand his style of football, how he likes to play, that really fits me,” he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
“I can imagine continuing to play for him. But we still don’t know about the future. There are still many question marks.”
Mustafi went on to add that given the current climate amid the coronavirus crisis, sorting out his personal future isn’t the priority at the moment.
In turn, much will perhaps depend on how the season ends and what his role is under Arteta moving forward, and possibly then he’ll be in a better position to make a decision on his future, while it obviously also depends on whether or not Arsenal put a new deal on the table for him to sign.