There’s been recent claims in the English media that a number of Arsenal players are looking to leave the club this summer, frustrated with their current situation with the Gunners.
One of the players named has been Bernd Leno, with it thought the goalkeeper could be looking at a new adventure from next season onwards. Germany’s Sport1 have had a chat with Leno, and after speaking about his country’s national team, and Leno’s chances of being in the squad for Euro 2020, things turned to his life with Arsenal.
Sport1 asked outright if Leno will fulfil his contract with Arsenal, which lasts until 2023, and he replied by saying: “ I don’t want to flee here, I feel good and want to be successful again with Arsenal! Arsenal are a big club, which is extremely underestimated in Germany, there are many Arsenal fans all over the world.
“I still have a two-year contract and hope to play in the Champions League again with Arsenal. It is also clear that at some point in my career I want to do something different. So far I’ve played for two clubs. Maybe I’ll get the urge to play in another league again. Maybe in the south. But there is time, I’m still getting to the top goalkeeping age. But my focus is on Arsenal FC.”
That doesn’t sound like a player eager to walk out on the Gunners in the coming months, although it would appear clear he doesn’t see the rest of his career being spent with Arsenal.
Sport1 also asked Leno if he regrets moving to Arsenal, and he dismissed that too: “No, definitely not, I’ve never regretted the move. Not even at the beginning when I sat on the bench for the first few games. I wanted to gain experience abroad, also as a person, and the Premier League is the coolest league. I’ve always followed this league.”
On the club’s current struggles under Mikel Arteta, Leno said: “The Premier League is tough. The smaller clubs really hurt you, which is why we can’t allow ourselves periods of weakness like last autumn. Otherwise you run after the music. We didn’t get the curve after that. But we last won against Chelsea, we beat Tottenham and Manchester United. Quality is there, but we couldn’t always call it up.”
It would appear that, for now at least, Leno’s mind is set on continuing with Arsenal and trying to help the London club back to some level of Premier League success.
