Tomas Rosicky: Staying at Arsenal is 'an option for me next season'

Midfielder reveals he came close to leaving the Emirates in January

Tomas Rosicky (GETTY IMAGES)

Tomas Rosicky has revealed he considered leaving Arsenal in January following a lack of first-team football, but hopes to play a full part in the Gunners' end-of-season run-in.

After not starting in the Premier League until the Boxing Day win over QPR, the Czech playmaker has now chalked up some 23 appearances overall as Arsenal moved back into the top four and also booked a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.

Rosicky, 34, has not ruled out extending his stay at the Emirates Stadium club, which has been hampered by an unfortunate series of injuries.

"Since the start of the year things have improved, the team has started to play better football and what's more I'm playing. Compared to the first six months, it's much better. We'll see how it goes from here," Rosicky said to Czech press, quoted by www.isport.blesk.cz.

"I don't really know [why I didn't play]. It's a good question, I would also like to know.

"The coach gave me a chance towards the end the year and then began to give me more playing time. I don't know, maybe it was a watershed moment."

Arsene Wenger (GETTY IMAGES)

Rosicky added: "We had talked about [me leaving in January] in previous meetings back in September and October, but then the market closed and I couldn't do anything.

"When you don't play a single game in December and the market opens, [the prospect of leaving] is obviously on the agenda. Then you start to have second thoughts.

"It was an exception for me though, I really thought about it. Then Arsenal said stay and that was that.

"The rest of the season will go quickly, then we'll look for a solution.

"Arsenal is still an option for me next season, the ball is in their court. When I get back from international duty we will start to talk about it.

"There are two options open to me [stay at Arsenal or go elsewhere]. At the moment I am in a situation where I make the decision."

Captain Mikel Arteta is another player whose future has to be resolved, the Spaniard out of contract in the summer, but expected to be offered a one-year extension.

Arsenal have most of their first-team squad away on international duty.

Mikel Arteta (GETTY IMAGES)

German midfielder Mesut Ozil missed the win at Newcastle on Saturday through a minor illness, but was subsequently spotted in a Berlin nightclub.

While Ozil was set to leave for Germany on Saturday night anyway, Arsenal are expected to seek the player's version of events when he reports back for training ahead of the crucial Premier League match with Liverpool on April 4.