Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer wants Fulham to release him to English giants Arsenal with the new English Premier League season kicking off this weekend, reports said on Friday.
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer wants Fulham to release him to English giants Arsenal with the new English Premier League season kicking off this weekend, reports said on Friday.
Fulham have rejected offers from Arsenal, who have been linked with the experienced Australian shot-stopper.
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Schwarzer, who has returned to London after playing for Australia in Wednesday's friendly in Slovenia, said he wants talks with Fulham's new manager Mark Hughes.
"I need it to happen," Schwarzer told Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper after Australia's 2-0 loss to Slovenia.
"I've had a couple of chats with Mark (Hughes). It's delicately poised.
"Who wouldn't be keen to go to Arsenal? At this stage in my career it's an amazing opportunity to play at that level and one I really want to take.
"Only time will tell whether that happens or not."
Schwarzer, who turns 38 in October, wants the transfer to be ratified before Arsenal's opening match of the Premier League season against Liverpool on Sunday and with almost three weeks of the transfer window left.
Schwarzer said he may not be able to play for Fulham at Bolton on Saturday because of injury.
"I'm not sure whether I'll play on the weekend. I've got a few little injury problems, but we'll have to wait and see how I pull up when I return to London," he said.
Schwarzer's deal looked likely to go ahead in June when former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson told him he would try to push the move through, the newspaper said.
But Hodgson's exit to Liverpool complicated the issue and Fulham refused to sell Schwarzer while they searched for a managerial replacement.
"It's taken a long time and the season's very close," Schwarzer said. "On one hand you understand them not wanting to disrupt too many things but I want things resolved as quickly as possible."
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