Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has confirmed Alex Iwobi is set to sign a new contract with the club, which should keep him at the Emirates until 2022.
The Nigerian International became a surprise inclusion in the Gunners squad last season under the guidance of Arsene Wenger, and impressed many with his performances.
It was a far cry from the lanky winger who made his Arsenal bow in October 2015, and he has now featured in 98 games for Arsenal, scoring nine goals in the process.
However, there has been some speculation over the last few weeks that he could be sold to help finance a summer transfer move for Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey, who is regarded as one of the finest talents in world football and is dead set on a move to the Premier League.
But with the likes of Lazio, Napoli and AC Milan all showing interest, Emery says the Arsenal academy graduate will sign an extension having returned for pre-season training.
“I have the information – he’s near. First, I want to work with every player, and they are coming [back from their breaks after World Cup duty],” Emery said on the Sky Sports website.
“Mesut [Ozil], Iwobi, [Mohamed] Elneny are starting to work with us, the first week is very good. My information is he is going to sign and continue with us.”
It will come as great news for the young man, who will have to prove his worth under the news coach this coming Premier League season.
But fans will be wondering just how could Iwobi agree to a new contract, while player of the season Aaron Ramsey has been in talks for months about signing back up.
The Welshman is seen as a future captain of the club and will be an integral part of Emery’s style of play in the coming months, so seeing Iwobi sign a new contract rather than Ramsey will be a bittersweet moment for fans.
IC