Mikel Arteta has urged Bukayo Saka to sign a new deal and stay at Arsenal.
The 18-year-old has been a standout player for the Gunners since the Premier League restart but is out of contract next season and talks are still ongoing between him and the club.
Negotiations have been rolling on throughout 2020 while Saka has also been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, with Borussia Dortmund understood to be among the major clubs interested in the versatile talent.
Arteta had previously stated that he was “confident” Saka would commit to a new long-term contract, but the Arsenal manager now has a message for his young prodigy.
“It's in his hands,” Arteta said after the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Southampton on Thursday evening.
“He has a manager who has total belief in him, a club that really supports him and team-mates that adore him for who he is.”
“He’s such a nice boy, he’s very intelligent and he’s so willing to learn.”
The Spanish coach heaped praise on the England U19 international, who has played 32 times since earning promotion to the first team.
“He’s eager to be the best. He trains to be the best every day and you can put him in different positions and he picks [them] up really quickly,” Arteta said.
“The decisions he makes, he takes risks, I think he [could have] produced three goals today easily and the maturity that he shows on the pitch is really good.”
Saka appeared to hint his love for the club in a social media post after the Southampton victory.
On his Instagram story, the left-sided player – who played the full 90 minutes of the contest – posted two photos, one with his teammates and the other with Arteta, both featuring love heart emojis.
Saka and his current club are next in action away at Sheffield United on Sunday lunchtime in the FA Cup quarter-final.
