Share

Arsenal tie down promising duo

Cape Town - Arsène Wenger has confirmed that Francis Coquelin and Chuba Akpom have signed new long-term contracts with the club.

France under-21 international Coquelin has won praise for his performances since returning to Arsenal in December from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Gunners from French side Laval in 2008, has featured 54 times in all competitions and was a key member of the 2009 FA Youth Cup-winning side.

Akpom joined the Arsenal academy in 2002 and made his first-team debut in the 3-1 Premier League victory at Sunderland in September 2013.

He has featured five times for the Gunners this season, impressing in back-to-back appearances against Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa, and has nine goals in 10 games for the under-21s.

“I am very happy because for me the target during this transfer window was on two fronts,” Wenger told arsenal.com

“The first was to get a defender in and we did that.

“The second was also to extend the contracts of Coquelin and Akpom. That's what I did as well so we are very happy with what we did.”

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE