The former Ajax star impressed for Arsenal last season, scoring seven goals in the Premier League.
“You have to keep performing every year. If you play for Arsenal you can never say ‘I had a good year, so now I’ll ease off’. That’s not possible,” said Vermaelen.
“People ask you to do better every year and I will try to do that.
“It’s always more difficult to stay at that level and next year that is the challenge – not only to maintain the level but to improve upon it because it wasn’t enough last season. We didn’t achieve anything. We have to grow again.”
