Mertesacker given day off to sign for Arsenal

German international Per Mertesacker was given a day off German team training on Tuesday by coach Joachim Loew so he could travel to England and sign for Arsenal for a fee believed to be up to 11million euros. While Loew did not mention Arsenal by name the 26-tear-old Werder Bremen stalwart has been strongly linked with the struggling Premier League giants and German agency SID said that he had gone to Arsenal to undergo a medical and sign a four year contract. "On Monday evening, Per called me in my room to tell me he had an offer," said Loew, who was speaking to reporters atfer a training session with the squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Austria on Friday. "I gave him the day off and am awaiting his return this evening, the remainder is the business of the club." Mertesacker, capped over 70 times and a member of the German sides that reached the 2006 and 2010 World Cup semi-finals as well as the Euro 2008 final, is under contract with Bremen till June next year. Mertesacker, who Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes will resolve a longstanding problem at centreback brutally exposed last Sunday when Manchester United humiliated them 8-2, will rejoin a squad that is preparing for a Euro qualifier against Austria on Friday and a friendly with Euro co-hosts Poland in Gdansk next week.