The father of Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has revealed there is a very real possibility that his son will leave on a free transfer, but opened the door to other possibilities.
Mustafi has enjoyed something of an Indian summer in his Arsenal career, making notable improvements to his play. He appears far more disciplined and solid under Arteta’s system but has been described as a player who ‘few fans wanted to watch’ under Arsene Wegner and Unai Emery.
At present, Mustafi has less than a year remaining on his current contract and he is eligible to negotiate over a free transfer to other clubs from January onwards.
Despite recent improvements in form, the German looks to be unlikely to consider any hypothetical offers of a new contract from the Arsenal board. His father recently revealed to German news outlet Sport1 that the defender and his entourage wish to leave their options open.
Acknowledging the present contract situation, his father Kujtim was very aware of the fact that the 28-year-old will be a free agent in the summer, and refused to either dismiss or confirm any updates over his son’s future.
“Nothing is ruled out, we can imagine everything, because Shkodran is [available on a] free transfer in the summer,” claimed Kujtim Mustafi to Sport1.
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Sport1 have touted a return to Germany in the form of Eintracht Frankfurt as a viable option, but the outlet also acknowledged financial downturns at Frankfurt have led to wage cuts – which Mustafi would have to take from his reported €5.5m (£4.91m) yearly salary.
It is hard to speculate reliably over a destination, but it’s beginning to seem increasingly unlikely that the German defender will be a Gooner for the 2021/22 season.
