Mikel Arteta Provides Update on Aubameyang Contract Situation & Discusses Future of Arsenal Duo

Mikel Arteta collected his second piece of silverware since becoming Arsenal boss on Saturday afternoon, after the Gunners defeated Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield.

The north London side took the lead through talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while versatile star Ainsley Maitland-Niles picked up the man of the match award, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez provided some vital stops to keep the Reds at bay.

And the Spanish coach was not given much time to celebrate before facing questions regarding the future of this trio, all who have been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium this summer. So, 90min is here to give you a breakdown of just what Arteta said when it comes to these lingering transfer rumours.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Aubameyang has been in talks regarding a new contract for some time with the Gunners, and with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, time is of the essence. But Arteta stated he is 'very positive' that the Gabonese forward will extend his stay at the club, and claimed he is 'not worried' about the ongoing situation.

"I keep saying the same thing [on Aubameyang's future]. I try to do my job which is to convince him that he's at the right place and the right environment here to produce moments like he's done today and he did here just three weeks ago.

"I am very positive that he's going to sign. There are a lot of things that are involved in a contract deal and we're trying to solve them.

"I'm not worried [about the situation with Aubameyang]. We can only try to do as much as possible to convince the player or tell them what we think about him. We can put all the cards on the table to try to keep him here but afterwards it's down to the player and the agent to agree to that.

"I think we've built a really good relationship between us and hopefully we can do it. Now, I am confident and I'm happy. I can see how he behaves every day and how much he works in training. It's a really good sign."

A positive start, then.

Emiliano Martinez

Martinez was one of the surprise heroes of last season, replacing the injured Bernd Leno and making match-winning contributions in some key clashes - including the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea. Many teams will be looking at the Argentine as a definite first-choice shot-stopper, but Arteta was tight-lipped on the goalkeeper's future.

“Emi has shown in the last few months what he is able to do for this football club. I am convinced that he has the level to play for us consistently at that level.

“He showed that today in a final. But I cannot stop the speculation. That is something I cannot stop and what other people can write about us.”

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Finally, Maitland-Niles. The England Under-21 star had found himself out of Arteta's plans in the past, but he has played his way back into the team with some impressive displays. The Spaniard insisted that the 23-year-old has a long way to go however, and must impress him 'every day in training' to keep his place in the Arsenal side.

"He has to be able to convince me every day in training that he can compete at this level. Not once every three months but every three days. The way he is playing at the moment is showing me that he can do it.

“His mentality and the way he is going about every single detail about the preparation of a football game is much better than before. I am delighted and very happy for him because he is really changing a lot of things around him to become the player he can be.

“The best way to show a player how his manager thinks about him, is to give him the chance to play or not. And today in a final again he started. He played the 90 minutes, like he did against City in the semi-final and Chelsea as well in the final.”