Arnold reveals desire to finish career in Dresden: "It would be nice to go back home at some point."
In an interview with American magazine "Sports Illustrated", one of the Bundesliga's most loyal professionals commented on possibly finishing his footballing career where it all began.
For 27-year-old German international Maximilian Arnold, there hasn't been much hesitation about remaining in the colors of the Bundesliga club he's represented since 2009. The VfL Wolfsburg midfielder revealed in a recent interview with an American publication that he never personally considered offers from German footballing giants such as Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München.
"There was contact at some point, but it never came to concrete negotiations," Arnold told "Sports Illustrated" magazine, "Uli Hoeneß [Bayern's longtime managing director] never called me personally, but there were presumably some calls with my agent."
Arnold extended his contract with Germany's green company team through 2026 just under a year ago. His current deal would see him remain in neon Green until he reaches 31-years-of-age. The one-time German national team midfielder made clear he didn't think too much about moving to a bigger club, even if it enhanced his prospects of rejoining the coveted Nationalmannschaft.
"Of course I've looked left and right at times," Arnold told his interviewer, "but I feel comfortable in Wolfsburg. The VfL isn't just any club for me."
Arnold did nevertheless reveal that he did entertain some thoughts of switching clubs when the time came to think about wrapping up his career. The Riesa-native came up through the Dynamo Dresden youth academy before signing on as a Wolfsburg professional 11 years ago at the age of 16.
"I'm keeping a close eye on the goings on at Dynamo Dresden," Arnold divulged, "A return is already something that I think about."
"Of course, one has to see if it fits together and makes sense," he remarked before eliciting a chuckle with, "If I come in at 35 and can no longer be of help to Dynamo, then perhaps I should leave it."
"But of course it would be nice to go back home at some point," he continued, "My wife and I are still very much rooted there. That's one reason I could envision it, but I'll decide on that when the time comes."
Naturally, if Wolfsburg get relegated this season, Arnold may be considering a change of employer much sooner than he's banking on.
"It's been a very difficult season thus far," Arnold acknowledged, "Honestly, way more lows than highs. We're not where we wanted to be this year and finishing the season won't be easy. We still have matches against Bayern and Dortmund."