Arteta: Ramsdale deserves contract extension

Aaron Ramsdale’s contract extension has “delighted” Mikel Arteta.

Our goalkeeper has kept 13 clean sheets in the Premier League this season, making a series of vital saves throughout the campaign.

Arteta is pleased his No. 1 has committed his future to the club as he continues to shape his squad for a return to Champions League football next season.

“We are delighted with the news for Aaron,” Mikel said in his pre-Nottingham Forest press conference. “He fully deserves that new contract, that extension, and obviously we want to keep our talent at the club and build on that.

“There are a few more that are very relevant for us to continue with that relationship and we are working on that.

“We have built that core and that foundation. There’s a lot of quality, a lot of youth, a lot of enthusiasm, but as well surrounded by a lot of good people with the right experience, with a lot of leadership around them.

“We have to continue to do that because the demands, the expectations, the challenges next season will be even higher. We cannot get confused of where we are today and have a lot of clarity for how we’re going to get where we want [to be] in the next seasons.

“It’s continuing to do 80 per cent of the things we are doing really well and just trying to win margins and find improvements and ways to be better in other areas.

“Whether it’s improving players, whether it’s improving processes, improving with recruitment. We have certain margins that are very important for us to get to another level.”