Unai Emery has hinted that Danny Welbeck will be offered a new contract at Arsenal.
The England forward has not played since November after he broke his ankle in the Europa League clash with Sporting CP.
Welbeck’s current deal expires in June and he is yet to agree an extension with the club.
However, Emery suggested that Arsenal will open talks with the former Manchester United man in the next few weeks.
“He’s progressing very well,” he said. “He is working and starting to touch the ball and to work on the pitch. His progress with such a big injury is going very well.
“It’s difficult for him to play matches this season but he is progressing very well and maybe the doctor will tell us he can come train with us in the last weeks of this season.
“After, his individual thing is to speak with the club [about his future].”
Emery has also underlined the importance of Arsenal having a homegrown core at the club.
“Every [Premier League] team needs English players,” he added. “Danny has his injury now. He was going with the national team and we were happy for him and the national team.
“[Promising English players] are now in the under-18s, under-19s, under-20s and under-21s teams. We have a lot of players with the possibility to grow up with us and be part of our future, and also with the national team.”
Arsenal will climb above Manchester United and Tottenham and into third place if they beat Newcastle on Monday.
LIST Ranked! The 20 greatest Premier League sides by points total
‘Slot hasn’t come in and changed everything, making it all about himself – it’s been about the players he’s inherited, getting the best out of a system he likes’: Liverpool manager impressing former players with personality and tactical approach
‘We thought we’d signed him, but Chelsea blew us away. I think they signed him so we couldn’t have him, as much as because they really wanted him’: Liverpool actually failed to sign Mohamed Salah in 2014, three years before finally getting the Egyptian
