Mertesacker fancies Prem

Mertesacker has received a lot of criticism for his role in Bremen's demise with numerous uncharacteristic mistakes costing his team points, yet he remains a rumoured target of Arsenal and Liverpool.

"England has been an issue for a few years now, but I cannot make a decision yet," he told Die Welt newspaper. "Of course the Premier League is attractive, but right now there is only one issue for me and that is avoiding the drop."

Mertesacker's contract with Bremen expires in 2012, meaning the Bundesliga club could only demand a substantial fee for him this summer, but he insists "now is not the time" to discuss where he will be playing next year.

Instead, he is trying to work out why his form has dipped this season.

"There are just so many different reasons which all came together," he explained.

"But I believe that it happens now and again that somebody does not play one season at the very highest level.

"You have to go through a dip to improve.

"We are not machines who always work, but that does not detract from the fact that we cannot repeat such a terrible season."

Bremen are 12th in the Bundesliga, just four points above the relegation zone with seven games remaining.