Arsenal manager wants wonderkid to be tied down with a new deal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is hopeful that wonderkid Bukayo Saka can be tied down to a new Arsenal contract. 

The Spanish manager is a big admirer of the 18-year-old after the starlet’s impressive start to the season. 

The Gunners academy product has entered the final 18 months of his current £3,000-a-week deal at the Emirates Stadium. 

The promising winger broke into the Arsenal senior side last season under Unai Emery and made four senior appearances. 

But, he has been even more involved this term with 23 appearances for the first team under his belt already. 

And Arteta is confident that Emirates chiefs will reward the England under-19 international with a new contract when the time is right. 

He said: “I am really happy with how they [young players] are developing. 

“Part of that developing is to improve the contract and to tie them to the club. But that has to follow a natural process. 

“We have Edu, we have Raul [Sanllehi], Vinai [Venkatesham] and Huss [Fahmy] who are in charge of that and I am sure we will do the right thing when players deserve to improve and extend their contracts.” 

Saka's potential is undisputed but what adds more value to him is his immense versatility. 

He has been really effective on the left wing and even when filling in at left-back for the injured Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac. 

And, his impressive string of performances has caught attention from clubs across Europe. 

And, the fact that he has only one and half years remaining in his contract, is only an incentive for the attention. 

Arsenal's local rivals Chelsea as well as Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have all registered their interest in the wonderkid. 

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been boosted by the good news that Kieran Tierney has returned to training after missing the last nine league games through a shoulder injury. 

Arteta said: “He is doing very good progress but we need to wait for the bone and the attachment to the tendon to heal before he can make any contact. 

“He has been training, his work ethic is incredible, I have been really impressed with him so hopefully we can get him back soon but we need to be a little bit patient with him."

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