Mikel Arteta believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can be one of the best players in the world and “leave his mark” at Arsenal after committing his future to the club.
The Gunners skipper finally ended months of speculation by signing a new three-year contract at the Emirates on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old has scored 72 goals in just 111 games for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and has established himself as the key man in Arteta’s rebuild, his doubles in both the FA Cup semi-final and final last season helping the Spaniard to win silverware during his first campaign in charge.
The Gabon forward has begun the new season in fine form, too, scoring stunning goals in both the Community Shield win over Liverpool and on the opening day of the Premier League season in a 3-0 win at Fulham.
In Pictures | Fulham vs Arsenal | 12/09/2020
“It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us,” Arteta said. “He’s a superb player with an incredible mentality. 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.”
Keeping Aubameyang is a major coup for Arsenal, who have often seen key players leave when entering the final years of their contract.
“It’s clear Auba loves the club and everything we stand for on and off the pitch,” said the club’s technical director Edu. “He’s obviously a very important part of the team so we’re all delighted he has committed his future to us. It’s a big boost for everyone – fans, team-mates and staff.”