It has been expected over the past couple of weeks that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would already have put pen to paper on a new deal with Arsenal.
But the 31-year-old forward has still not signed his new Arsenal contract, head coach Mikel Arteta confirmed on Thursday.
His remaining deal expires at the end of the season and fans hoped to see the Gabon International tied down before the start of the north Londoners’ 2020/21 campaign.
But the Gunners are in action this weekend – they take on Liverpool in the Community Shield on Saturday – and Arteta announced that the contract has still not been agreed.
“Well, I keep being positive,” said the head coach on Aubameyang’s new deal.
“We have some really good talks with him and his agent and I am pretty confident we will find an agreement soon. That’s my feeling.”
Arteta also only offered a brief update on the club’s quest to sign Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
The 22-year-old is understood to have undergone a medical at an unknown London location earlier in the week, but his signing has still not yet been announced.
And Arteta refused to confirm the status of the deal.
“Regarding Gabriel we can’t announce anything yet, the deal is not finalised,” he added.
Furthermore, Arteta has told his ostracised players – such as Matteo Guendouzi – that they will start the new season with a clean slate.
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“I have been really clear that everybody starts from zero,” finished the Gunners boss.
This article was most recently revised and updated 5 years ago
