<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The Swedish midfielder’ contract is set to expire in the summer of 2013, and the club technical director insists that they want to prolong his stay at AFAS Stadion.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">AZ Alkmaar technical director, Earnest Stewart, has revealed that the club wants to prolong Rasmus Elm’s stay at AFAS Stadion.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">The 24-year-old’s current contract at the Alkmaar outfit is due to expire at the end of the 2012/13 season, but the club management is keen to extend his contract by offering him a new deal.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">The highly-talented midfielder, who joined AZ in the summer of 2009 after making close to 100 league appearances for Kalmar FF, has thus far donned the jersey of the Alkmaar outfit in 83 matches, netting 18 goals while providing
plenty of assists along the way.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">His good performances have convinced the AZ management to offer him an improved contract, and the club technical director has confirmed that his side has opened talks with the Swede.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">“Our talks with his agent were quite short, as Rasmus has just returned from his vacation”, Stewart was quoted as saying to Voetbal International.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">The AZ chief went on to confess that his side is waiting anxiously to hear from the 23-year-old about his plans, and has insisted that the club is desperately keen to keep him at AFAS Stadion for long.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">“We are waiting to hear from him that what he really wants. Only then, we will see how to approach the situation. But this is clear that we really want to keep Rasmus at AZ for at least a couple of seasons more”, Stewart concluded.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">The Alkmaar outfit would be hoping that they manage to prolong Elm’s stay at AFAS Stadion. However, if the free-kick specialist decides not to renew his expiring contract, AZ would be forced to sell their prized asset before the
ongoing summer transfer window slams shut.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Reports indicate that Fiorentina, Lazio and Olympique Lyonnais are taking keen interest in acquiring the services of the midfield ace, and an offer in the region of seven million Euros would be enough to lure the Swedish ace away
from AFAS Stadion.</p>
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