Mikel Arteta feared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would not commit his future to Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Cup - Mikel Arteta feared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would not commit his future to Arsenal - REUTERS
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Cup - Mikel Arteta feared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would not commit his future to Arsenal - REUTERS

Mikel Arteta said he had feared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would not commit his future to Arsenal as he revealed that the club captain held significant doubts about signing a new deal last season.

Aubameyang ended months of uncertainty by signing a new three-year contract this week but for large spells of last season it appeared unlikely that he would be staying in north London.

Arteta played a key role in convincing Aubameyang to extend his time at Arsenal, with the team building genuine momentum under the Spaniard’s management following his arrival in December.

“At the start, when I joined, I wasn’t as positive as I was a few weeks ago,” said the Arsenal manager, whose side face West Ham on Saturday. “Obviously financially we were in a position where it was difficult to get what we wanted to get and I think Auba had his doubts at the time.

“But things evolved in a natural way and I had a feeling that the club wanted to move forward. I had a feeling that Auba wanted to stay here and we were just trying to put those things together. That can sometimes take some time, but if the outcome is what we both wanted then we’re happy.

“I played my part, which is part of my job, to try to explain to him what we are trying to do and how important he would be while we are building.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal are set to complete the signing of goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson from Dijon for around £1.5m, with Arteta saying a deal would be announced “shortly”.

Arsenal are also pursuing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and have seen a £10m bid rejected in recent days. The reshuffle comes after the £20m sale of Emiliano Martinez to Aston Villa and is being driven by goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana, who has worked with both Runarsson and Raya in the past.

“At the end of the day I bring in staff with very special qualities to add to what we are trying to do,” said Arteta of Cana. “And then I have to give them responsibility because I want them to be accountable for the tasks that I give to them.

“When it comes down to the goalkeeper, he has a big say on how we are going to implement our methodology, how we are going to train them and how we are going to treat the goalkeeping position in the short, medium and long term. I have big faith in Inaki as I do with the rest of the staff that are here.”