Villareal are reportedly interested in resigning Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla this summer.
The Spaniard will become a free agent at the end of next month unless he's offered a new contract, but Arsenal are not set to offer him a contreact extension .
He's been out of action from October 2016 with an Achilles problem sustained in the Champions League group phase win over Ludogorets. The player has recently started training with the hope to featuring against either Leicester City or Huddersfield Town.
"My contract ends this summer and no one has told me anything, but it's normal," he told
Cadena Ser radio. "I've been out of action for so long. I've been practically unable to train, and that is my main focus right now. I want to gradually train, for them [Arsenal] to see me and see how I feel.
"We shall see what happens in the future. The important thing is for me to return to play, and then we shall see where I play.
"There is still some way to go but I hope I can achieve it. I'm a little bit more optimistic. I'm starting to do things on the pitch.
"There is still a long way to go and I have to work very hard. Little by little, I hope I can come out of this."
Cazorla made over 200 appearances across two spells for Villarreal earlier in his career, but departed for Malaga in the summer of 2011 before joining the Gunners a year later.