Sead Kolasinac has brushed off speculation linking Arsenal with a summer move for a new left-back.
Big changes are expected at the Emirates once the transfer window opens at the end of the season, with manager Unai Emery keen to continue the rebuilding job he started last summer, when five new faces arrived.
It's been widely reported that a new left-back is a priority for Emery, with several names linked - including Celtic’s Kieran Tierney and Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico.
And the latter’s agent has recently given extra spice to those reports, revealing that that the Argentine defender would be open to leaving the Dutch capital.
Ricardo Schlieper said: ”He [Tagliafico] believes that the time has come to try a new experience in a different league.
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“He wants to keep improving and I already turned down a significant contract extension. There are several teams that made enquiries for him, but it’s too soon to say where he will play next season.
“Ajax want a significant amount of money for him, and that will definitely scare some clubs off."
Kolasinac is well aware of all of the reports, but the former Schalke man - who is now into his second season in north London - says transfer talk comes with the territory of playing for a club like Arsenal.
“I think you will always have that speculation, that happens at a club like this," he told DAZN DACH.
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“I just look at us as a team at the moment and I want us to finish as positively as possible and I want to be a part of that.
“What happens in the summer, I don’t know But I’m very happy at Arsenal, I’m really pleased to be playing for a club like this.”
Kolasinac endured a frustrating start to the campaign due to a knee injury picked up while playing against Chelsea in pre-season.
He had to wait until October to make his first appearance of the season and November for his first Premier League start.
But since then he has gone on to become an integral part of Unai Emery’s side, making 28 appearances in all competitions.
Playing either as a left-back in a flat back four or in a more advanced wing-back role, he has excelled going forward and has already contributed five Premier League assists.
He has arguably been Arsenal’s most important attacking outlet at times and the 25-year-old believes he is playing as well as he ever has done in his career - and he puts that down to the work Emery has done with him at the training ground.
“I feel good,” he said. “At the start of the season I was injured and it was hard to come back when you have that sort of injury.
“But I’m 100 per cent now, I’m happy to help my team and to get a few assists as well.”
Focusing on the improvements Emery has made to his game, Kolasinac added: “We watch a lot of videos, he and the rest of the coaching staff really try to help me.
“We always watch those videos together to improve.
“A day after a game we will look at what’s gone well, what’s not gone well and we’ll speak about it honestly and try to make those improvements so that they show in the next game.”
Having taken a major step towards the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday with a 2-0 win against Napoli at the Emirates, Arsenal return to Premier League action on Monday night with a trip to Watford.
Emery’s side will start the game sitting sixth, but would move to within one point of third-placed Spurs with victory at Vicarage Road.
It would leave them with their Champions League fate in their own hands going into the final five games of the season and Kolasinac says he and his team-mates are desperate to get Arsenal back into Europe’s elite club competition once again.
“It would mean a lot for us all, we really want to be back in the Champions League,” said the Bosnia international. “It would be good for the club.
"It’s what the fans want and it’s what the players want. We want to make sure that we’re there.”