Chuba Akpom: Arsenal striker signs new contract with club

Akpom came off the bench and won his side a penalty in Arsenal's 5-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday

Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract to keep him at the club until 2019.

Akpom would have become a free agent in the summer and a host of Premier League and foreign clubs had shown a strong interest in signing the 19-year-old.

But after talks with manager Arsene Wenger, Akpom agreed to stay and a deal was signed on Tuesday.

The England youth international had spells on loan with Brentford and Coventry City last season.

He joined the Arsenal academy in 2002 and signed professional terms in 2013.

Part of Wenger's reasoning for letting forwards Lukas Podolski, Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell leave on loan in January was to give Akpom a chance.

Four of his seven first-team appearances have come during 2015.