Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sends Aubameyang contract message after FA Cup win

Posted Sunday, July 19, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sends Aubameyang contract message after FA Cup win
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has sent a contract message to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Image: GETTY)

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has addressed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract situation.

Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal's performances this week have done enough to convince Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to put pen-to-paper on a contract extension as the Gabon international has entered the last 12 months of his current deal.

Arsenal may have to cash in on their top scorer this summer if he does not extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are set to miss out on European football next season so may struggle to keep hold of their star striker.

However, Arteta has masterminded a win over Liverpool in midweek and followed that up with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday night.

Aubameyang bagged a brace as Arsenal booked their place in the final, where they await the winner of Manchester United vs Chelsea.

Arsenal appear to be on the up and Arteta now wants to make it a hat-trick of positive news by sitting down with Aubameyang for contract talks.

“Hopefully it will help him to be more convinced we are going in the right direction," Arteta said.

Arsenal defended deep in both of their wins this week and Arteta is proud of the fighting spirit his squad showed.

“We’ve had an incredible week, to beat the best two teams in Europe, it doesn’t happen every day," the Spaniard added.

“I don’t care who plays, I can trust them - we made changes and everyone was ready.

“We had to suffer in many moments. We had to be really well organised and minimise the spaces."

Arteta started this season as Pep Guardiola's assistant before taking up his first managerial post with Arsenal.

Their time together at the Etihad enabled the Gunners boss to come up with a plan to stop their usually-potent attack.

"We didn't play good," Guardiola admitted after the match. "The only regret is not to lose the game - that can happen - but it is that we did not play the first half like we played the second. We did not play good and on a day when you had to, we did not.

"We started low and without the way you have to play. We are always ready many times but today we were not.

"I knew they played five at the back and with high pressing. They defended well. It happened against Liverpool too so we knew it. But we were not good. We have to play good to go through.

"Now we have two weeks so we want to play the final [of the Champions League]. We want to be in rhythm. It is the last opportunity we have to go through [to win another trophy]."