Bernd Leno's agent Joannis Koukoutrigas believes the Arsenal goalkeeper should be the "clear number one" choice at the club.
Leno lost his place between the sticks to Aaron Ramsdale last season, restricting the German international to just four Premier League appearances. Although the 30-year-old still has another year on his current deal, he is expected to leave the Emirates this summer for regular game time.
And the shot-stopper is not short of suitors, with newly-promoted side Fulham "trying hard" to get a deal over the line. The Whites were also exploring the option of bringing Alphonse Areola back to Craven Cottage but he is likely to sign permanently for West Ham.
The Gunners will begin their pre-season next month and Arteta is set to welcome new signing and goalkeeper Matt Turner, who will join from MLS side New England Revolution. Indeed, Leno faces an uncertain future at Arsenal - and the player's agent has seemingly aimed a dig at Arteta by suggesting his decision to prefer Aaron Ramsdale as the No.1 is the wrong one.
"Fulham is trying hard to get Bernd," Koukoutrigas recently said in an interview. "Very professionally. This is also true for some other clubs and shows his status.
"But, as I said, for me he is the No.1 at Arsenal and we are therefore also relaxed. He is a German national goalkeeper, has always performed well at Arsenal and is an absolute team player. For me personally, Bernd is also the clear No.1 at Arsenal. With all due respect to the competitors."
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Meanwhile, Leno admitted he was "bitter," after being dropped to the bench. "It was a setback and a bitter moment," he said back in April. "But that's sport, you have to accept that. It wasn't easy, but I couldn't feel sorry for myself, I wanted to attack again immediately.
"I don't want to say I was a pawn, but when the results aren't right, sometimes things happen quickly in football. The coach wanted to set a new impulse - and then the [improved] results came. That was bitter for me, because I had held up well before that.
"I had never experienced anything like that in my career before. But I looked ahead. My ambition is to always play, I know what I can do. I'm not 20 anymore, where I could say: 'I still have time'."
Arsenal paid £19million for the shot-stopper three years ago, and he is now believed to be valued at around £9m.
