Mesut Ozil has claimed he could end his career at Arsenal.

The 30-year-old German signed a new contract in January worth £350,000 a week, which ties him to the club until 2021.

Ozil retired from international football in the summer in the wake of a political row between Germany and Turkey - the country of his grandparents’ birth - but at club level has enjoyed an upturn in form under new Gunners boss Unai Emery.

In an interview at the launch of his wellness brand Unity, founded alongside former Arsenal team-mate Mathieu Flamini, Ozil told Standard Sport he is open to the idea of ending his playing days at the club he joined in 2013 for a then record fee of £42.4million from Real Madrid.

“Why not? I am still young, I am 30,” he said. “In football, everything is possible but I am really happy to play for a big club like Arsenal. I just enjoy it and I can imagine finishing my career at Arsenal.”

Asked when he could end his playing days, Ozil said: “Maybe aged 38! No, really, I always think if I feel well, I could go on until I am 35 or 36, I don’t know. If everything is good, we’ll see.”

Arsenal are seeking to extend a 14-game unbeaten run when they face Sporting Lisbon at Emirates Stadium tonight, knowing a victory will guarantee their place in the Europa League last 32.

And Ozil hailed Emery’s impact at the club since replacing Arsene Wenger in the summer. He said: “Of course, the first two games were difficult for us [they suffered defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea] because everything was new after Wenger. But now you can see that we are going forward step by step.

“We are in a good way and want to continue that under him. He is a really good coach, he wants to understand the players, the club and we want to show him on the pitch what we can do.”

Ozil was likely to be left out of the starting XI tonight, as Emery keeps one eye on their Premier League meeting with Wolves on Sunday.

Finishing top of their European group would mean - in theory - that Arsenal would get a more favourable draw in the last 32.

Emery said: “It’s a very important match because if we win we’re first in the group - that’s our clear target. This competition is very important for us. It’s one way to win a title and get into the Champions League next year.”