Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi plays down £35m fee

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi is determined to keep his feet grounded despite the £35m ($45m) fee for which he signed from Valencia, which has made him the third most expensive defender in the Premier League. The German World Cup winner has slotted in brilliantly in the Arsenal backline, conceding only three goals thus far in the league since making the first team.

Mustafi has built a solid relationship with Laurent Koscielny at the back in the absence of Per Mertesacker, who is out with a knee injury. He revealed that he had his sights set on a move to the Emirates and is determined to put in a good performance and get the crowd on his back.

"I wanted to go to Arsenal, everything else was negotiated by the club. Of course, this [price tag] is an incredible sum. And I know what a burden that can bring. Especially in my second home in Gostivar. But I could not influence that. So I push it far away," Mustafi said, as quoted by the Mirror.

The Gunners are currently on a brilliant run of form in the league, having won five on the bounce, including a 3-0 smashing of Chelsea at the Emirates. They are also unbeaten in the Champions League, drawing 1-1 away to Paris Saint-Germain and beating Basel 2-0 at home. The north London club come back from the international break with four back-to-back home games, where they will be hoping to gain full points and also progress in the Cup.

The Gunners are hopeful of bringing back Aaron Ramsey into the squad after the break, with the Welshman still suffering from a hamstring injury he picked up against Liverpool. Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud, out with a toe injury, and Lucas Perez, out with a knee problem, are all expected to be back after the break.