Mikel Arteta has refused to rule out the possibility of Alexandre Lacazette extending his stay at Arsenal beyond the end of this season.
The Frenchman initially seemed out of the first team picture at the Emirates but has come back to a regular starter in recent matches, scoring a crucial goal in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
His attitude and work rate have been praised by many, with several of the Gunners young players revealing that he is one of the leaders in the dressing room at London Colney.
All this has led to rumours that the 30-year-old could be offered an extension on his current contract which expires in the summer, and now Arteta has refused to rule it out as a possibility.
Speaking ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, the Spaniard revealed that he had been impressed by what Lacazette has offered in recent months, and revealed that any talks over a new deal would take place towards the end of the current campaign.
"I don’t know there is so much stuff," he said in his pre-match press conference. "What I can say is I'm really happy with what Laca is doing and that’s it.
"We’re not going to be talking about any of that until the end of the season."
Reports earlier this week suggested that Lacazette is looking to secure a longer-term contract for what will probably be the last big deal of his career, while Arsenal are hoping to secure him for a shorter period with youngsters Gabriel Martinelli and Flo Balogun coming through.
At 30-years-of-age, offering the Frenchman a new contract would go against the recruitment policy pursued by Edu in the summer of investing in young players, however, it is thought that Arteta values his experienced presence and leadership around what is the youngest squad in the Premier League.
Lacazette is one of several players whose contracts run out this summer.
Fellow forward Eddie Nketiah has informed the club that he would like to leave, and could secure a move away in January, while it is not yet clear what impact the ankle injury Sead Kolasinac sustained on international duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina could have on his chances of an exit when the window reopens at the turn of the year.
Mohamed Elneny is another who is set to see his time at the Emirates come to an end sooner rather than later, although Arteta remained coy on the prospect of Arsenal terminating the Egyptian's contract ahead of schedule as they did with Sokratis, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi last January.
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"Again, I cannot go into that," the Spaniard said. "I’m really happy with Mo.
"If not I would be discussing individually all the players and it’s not the time to do so."
