I feared Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would leave when I first took Arsenal job, says Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta has revealed he had fears Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may not sign a new deal when he first took charge in December.

Aubameyang this week gave Arsenal a huge boost by ending speculation around his future and signing a new three-year contract worth £250,000 a week.

The forward has become a key player under Arteta, finishing as the club’s top scorer last season and scoring both goals in the FA Cup win over Chelsea.

Arteta has in recent weeks spoken positively about keeping hold of the 31-year-old, but he admits he hasn’t always been so sure.

“To be fair at the start when I joined, I wasn’t as positive as I was in the last few weeks,” he said.

“Obviously, financially we were in a position that it was difficult to get where we wanted to get. I think Auba had his doubts as well at the time but things evolved in a natural way.

“I had the feeling that the club wanted to move forward, I had the feeling that Auba wanted to stay here and we were just trying to apply those things together and that sometimes takes time. But the outcome is what we both wanted so we are happy.”