Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ended any lingering speculation over his future by signing a new three-year contract.
The 31-year-old announced that he has agreed fresh terms following prolonged negotiations with the Gunners, which began long before he scored a brace in the 2-1 FA Cup final win over Chelsea on August 1.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta recently told fans to “relax” as he grew increasingly confident that a deal would be struck between the club and the man who has finished as their top scorer in his two full seasons in north London.
“Arsenal fans, finally as you know I just signed the thing,” he said in a live Instagram stream from the Emirates Stadium.
More than 109,000 people were watching the stream via the official Arsenal account, with Aubameyang adding: “I signed the thing because I want to become an Arsenal legend, maybe leave a legacy, it is the time to work a lot.
“For sure, I will give my best, as always, so yes, I have just signed the thing. Hopefully you are happy and I can’t wait to see you in this beautiful stadium again.”
He was then joined on the call by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright and his current team-mate Alexandre Lacazette, who praised his decision to sign the contract.
Aubameyang moved to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 – for a then-club record fee.
He has since gone on to score 72 goals across 111 games in all competitions, including the last in Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League opening day victory at Fulham.
He has now committed to a further three years with the club and Arteta was pleased to get the deal sorted.
“It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us,” he 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.”
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