Vital Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker set to sign new deal

Per Mertesacker

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has labelled talk of a new contract as a “reward” for the way that he is currently playing.

The big German endured a tough beginning to his career at the Emirates, but his performances of late have made him one of the first names on the team sheet, and ensured that club captain Thomas Vermaelen remains on the bench.

“The first year was tough for me, a very tough challenge, but the club and the manager always trusted me in a special way,” the defender told the Daily Star.

“I think it is a little reward that we are talking [about a new contract], because I still have one-and-a-half years left.

“There is no rush, but it seems that some people are delighted with my performances at the moment. I am pleased with the situation.”

Talking about his difficult start at the club, Mertesacker continued: ”I went through a lot of difficulties and a lot of mistakes at the beginning, but the manager always said I would get through it because I was a good player.”

“I took my time to settle down completely and there were a lot of reasons.”

“I missed completely the pre-season [before joining Arsenal], so it was really hard because I had to work straight away to play straight away.

“It took me a while to get to that level, but the manager always trusted me and said I was intelligent enough to cope with problems.”

Mertesacker only misplaced one pass against Marseille last night – a success rate of 99%.