Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has thanked manager Mikel Arteta as the forward closes in on a new contract with the club.
Standard Sport understands Saka is set to commit his long-term future to the Gunners with a deal worth at least £200,000 a week plus bonuses. Manchester City had been showing interest but Saka, who has been with Arsenal since the age of seven, had no desire to leave.
Saka is the only player in the Premier League this season to have reached double figures for goals and assist, as he spearheads their unexpected title push, and believes his boss has been key to his progression into one of the league's best players.
"I’ve learnt a lot and I’m progressing in the right way, so I’m happy," he told the club's official website. "I just hope at the end of the season those goals and assists will be very important and they’ll mean a lot for the team.
"[Arteta] has taught me a lot, and I have to thank him for the way I’m developing because a lot of it is because of what he’s doing for me. You have to be ready for everything that comes, and that’s one thing that I have tried to do - be ready for every moment and try to take it."
Sunday's draw at Liverpool means Arsenal are no longer favourites for the title, as City hold a game in hand and will welcome the Gunners to the Etihad Stadium later this month.
"As players, we really want to do this," Saka said. "We know that everything is in our hands and we just have to keep going game by game. If we win these last eight games and get some good results, the title can be ours, so we just have to stay focused. It’s a long season and we have to be consistent all the way through, so that’s what we’ll try to do.
"I wouldn’t say [the Man City game] is the final, but maybe the semi-final because it’s massive, and so important as both teams are fighting at the top. It’s really close so it’ll be a massive game."
