Mikel Arteta is confident that Bukayo Saka will sign a new contract with Arsenal 'very shortly' after months of speculation around the players' future.
The 18-year-old's current deal - which was signed in September 2018 - expires in June 2021, which has made him a potential target for top English and European clubs alike.
On June 15, the Gunners' head coach admitted that Saka's contract was still a priority and considering he is the player leading the charge for the current crop of youngsters, Arteta underlined the importance of securing his future.
"I am very positive that everything is going to be done with Bukayo very shortly," the head coach told reporters ahead of Arsenal's trip to Southampton.
"The communication between the club, agents and the family has been going on for months and it's very fluent. The player and the family knows how much trust I have in him, I think he's showing that every week and his consistency levels are getting better and better.
"I'm so excited with the young players that we have, they just need the right environment around them to explode and Bukayo is doing that even in difficult circumstances which is even more merit for him."
Before football resumed on June 17, Saka was primarily playing as either a left back or a winger for the Gunners and excelling when doing so.
Saturday's [June 20] match away at Brighton, however, saw the youngster star in a new role as he played on the left of a three-man midfield. From there, he blended his attacking and defensive duties extremely well as he was able to aid both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the final third and Sead Kolasinac in the defensive third when needed.
In attack, when Aubameyang drifted closer to Alexandre Lacazette infield, Saka would take the vacated space and whip crosses into the box which should have been finished. He didn't shy away from using his weaker foot either as an early curled effort with his right foot slammed against the crossbar.
His time at left-back seemed to make him even more suited to the midfield role as he was more than prepared to track back and sure up Arsenal's left flank.
Alongside this, Saka claimed his 12th assist of the season [in all competitions] when he laid the ball to Nicolas Pepe for his outstanding opener during the game. Despite yet again having to play in a somewhat unfamiliar position, the 18-year-old showed just how important he could be to Arteta's Arsenal revolution.
