Arnason keen to stay at Pittodrie but says ball is in Aberdeen’s court

Midfielder Kari Arnason is eager to stay at Aberdeen and says it is down to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League club to determine his future.

The Iceland international has impressed in his 32 appearances for the Dons since moving from Plymouth last summer but rejected a contract extension in January and manager Craig Brown confirmed he would plan for next season without Arnason.

Brown and the Dons football committee are poised to discuss player contracts next week and Arnason is keen to remain at Pittodrie, despite being free to talk to other clubs.

Speaking ahead of today’s SPL clash with Inverness, the 29-year-old said: “I’ve said all along I want to stay at the club. It’s just a matter of reaching a conclusion in the negotiations.

“I want to stay but on the other hand I am turning 30 this year and I’d wish to get a decent contract, because it’s probably going to be my last chance of a good contract.

“I’ve always been open for them to come back to me. It’s their decision at the end of the day, I can’t force their hand.

“The clubs at the moment have all the power. You can only be at the opposite side of the table and negotiate when they want to negotiate. If they don’t, there’s nothing I can do.

“The deal they made me was very good at Aberdeen level, but that doesn’t mean to say that’s a very good contract, if you compare it to down south. It was kind of a let down because I want to stay.”

Arnason hopes if the Dons can advance to the William Hill Scottish Cup final with a semi-final defeat of Hibernian, it may enhance his prospects of staying. He added: “If we can go forward in the cup and get to the final it will make the situation more interesting if the club is in Europe.

“I believe in this team and when everyone is fully fit I think we are one of the strongest teams in Scotland, there is no question. There’s a lot of potential in this team and we could definitely push on next year.”

Inverness head to Pittodrie in tenth place in the SPL, five points above 11th-placed Hibernian and six points behind seventh-placed Kilmarnock, but with next Wednesday’s game in hand against St Johnstone.

While relegation-threatened Hibs and bottom club Dunfermline will be looking to put together a run of results which will lead Inverness to look over their shoulders, Caley Thistle captain Richie Foran is targeting only a successful conclusion to the campaign.

“We want to finish best of the rest,” Foran said. “We want to finish in seventh now, we don’t want to go any lower than that. If we finish in seventh it’s still a good season.

“There’s not a lot between us, the Aberdeens, St Mirrens. We’ll see who can stand up and be counted now, who can battle, who can show the right attitude to finish seventh. We believe it’s going to be us.

“We’re doing everything right, but put the ball in the net. We haven’t done it enough times this season. We can’t keep dwelling on it.”