ARSENAL plan to sit down and talk with Santi Cazorla about how they can offer him a return to north London to properly say goodbye to fans, it’s claimed.
The midfielder left for Villarreal at the end of his contract in the summer of 2018 having not played for the club in two years due to injury.
Santi Cazorla was immensely popular during his six-years at Arsenal
The Gunners legend finally returned to the pitch after going back to his former club in August 2018 and has enjoyed a successful year-and-a-half with the Yellow Submarine.
The veteran has always spoken of his desire to return to the Emirates after his injury hell robbed him of a goodbye to fans.
He was immensely popular during his six-year stint in North London and is keen for a proper send off.
He said to Goal in January: “I don’t know if it’s possible or not, but I want to play one more game for Arsenal before I retire.
“It was a deep regret that I could never have a proper goodbye, Arsenal was the biggest club I ever played for.
“I’m proud that I was an Arsenal player. I’m especially grateful for Arsenal fans who supported me even after I left the club.
“I wish I can be part of the Gunners family in the future again.”
Football.london reported that Arsenal are exploring the possibility for Cazorla to come back and complete his goodbyes, although how that might be done is not yet clear.
Arteta and Cazorla remain close friendsCredit: Getty – Contributor
Cazorla is out of contract this summer and at the age of 35 it is unlikely that he will see out his playing career with the Gunners but in doing so he would reunite with his former teammate Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi is reportedly in contact with the player’s agent and so a plan will be discussed at the end of the season, whenever that might be.
Arranging a one-off game for Cazorla has been setback by the coronavirus crisis, which has put football across Europe on standby with campaigns possibly finishing throughout the summer.
But the former Spain international could instead simply be invited over to watch a game from the stands, when he could be introduced to fans pre-match or at half time.
Otherwise, Arsenal may look to include Cazorla’s next club in their traditional pre-season tournament, the Emirates Cup, at their home stadium.
The veteran has also expressed desire to return to the Gunners as a coach alongside pal Arteta but ideally would like a couple more years on the pitch first.
Last speaking about his future publicly, Cazorla said to Marca: “I haven’t made any long-term plans, not at 35 years old.
“I will finish the season and see what my body is telling me because I get up feeling different each day.
“I’ve always said that I’d return here to play at my best and when I see that I’m not even at 80 percent, I will step aside and let young players come through.
“Right now I’m happy but I notice my age, the injury is there and it’s getting more difficult.
“I’m not planning anything right now but it’s clear that playing in Europe is a plus for any player so I will decide in the summer.”
Cazorla has turned heads this season, making 24 league appearances in total, scoring eight and assisting six.
Santi Cazorla’s son does ‘Stay at Home Challenge’ in Arsenal club shirt
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
