Arsenal manager Unai Emery is confident that Aaron Ramsey will sign a new deal with the club.
Ramsey captained the Gunners in a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid in the pre-season friendly International Champions Cup tournament on Thursday, being withdrawn on the hour mark, with Arsenal then going on to lose on penalties.
While the Welshman said on Wednesday that his team were yet to make a breakthrough on a new agreement over his contract with the club, Emery was positive that it is a matter of when, not if.
Talking in his post-match press conference, Emery said:
I think Aaron is an important player for us. The contract is one thing for the club and then one thing for the player.
I want him to stay with us, to work with us, to give the team big performances with his quality. I think he’s going to stay here with us.
Emery also insisted that while no-one has yet been chosen to succeed Per Mertesacker as club captain, he wishes to have ‘five captains’ in his side for next season. He continued:
This [Ramsey as captain] is not yet official, this decision .
I said to you I want five captains in the team, then the numbers we are going to give to them, the first, the second, third, four and five. But Aaron has the condition to be one of the captains.
