Arteta comments on Aubameyang's new deal
Mikel Arteta says it is vital that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signed a new deal with Arsenal due to his playing qualities and leadership.
Since the turn of the year there had been rumours increasing in frequency that suggested Aubameyang was looking to leave Arsenal to play Champions League football.
With him entering the final year of his contract in the 2020/21 season, a quandary presented itself to Arsenal as to whether they should cash in on their star striker should he refuse to sign a new deal.
However, over the past few weeks it looked more and more likely that he would remain at the club, reported happy with the direction it was going in under new manager Arteta.
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On Tuesday, he eventually announced that he had signed a two-year contract extension to the summer of 2023, much to the delight of Arteta.
"It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us. He's a superb player with an incredible mentality," the Spaniard told the official Arsenal site.
"Being the player to have taken the least amount of time to reach 50 goals with this club tells you everything you need to know about him and his way of working.
"He's an important leader for the team and a big part of what we're building. He wants to be up there with the best players in the world and leave his mark. He can achieve that here."
Aubameyang himself announced the news via a live video on YouTube, and claimed that his aim was now to become a legend with the club akin to the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright, and Tony Adams.