Merida hoping for Arsenal extension

Arsenal youngster Fran Merida wants to stay at the club and secure a new contract but admits he is unsure about his future while his current deal runs down.The 19-year-old Spaniard has attracted interest from clubs such as Atletico Madrid and is a free agent at the end of the season, with his situation becoming a hot topic after his spectacular opener in the Carling Cup win over Liverpool on Wednesday night.Merida said: "At the moment I am talking to the club so I don't know what is going to happen. Hopefully everything is going to be all right but we are going to sit down and talk about it."I am really happy here and things are going okay. I am really happy in London too so we will see what happens."Wenger is confident of securing the future of Merida, who has been billed as the new Cesc Fabregas.The Gunners boss said: "We are close to signing a new contract."

Source: Eurosport