Nacho Monreal’s contract at Arsenal is up this summer, and while the 32-year-old has yet to officially state he’s staying on beyond that, he has confirmed that talks are ongoing.
“We are in contact in any moment so don’t worry about that,” Monreal told the Evening Standard ahead of Arsenal’s match on Saturday at Newcastle. “I am happy here. That is the most important thing.”
Monreal is one of the longest tenured Gunners on the squad, having arrived in early 2013 from Spanish club Malaga. He has made 215 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions, scoring 10 goals and assisting 13.
“My idea is to play in football until my body says ‘Nacho, so sorry but that’s the end’. But I think it is far [away]. I hope so. You never know because your body, sometimes you start with some problems, some injuries and you can’t continue giving 100 per cent. But at the moment I feel good so I am not thinking of my retirement.”
Arsenal has had a long-standing policy against signing players over 30 to a contract extension, but recently they have relaxed that guideline. For example, the Gunners signed 33-year-old captain Laurent Koscielny to a 2-1/2 year contract extension in January. The club also signed two new defenders this summer over 30 years old in Stephen Lichtsteiner and Sokratis.