Arsene Wenger: Why this Arsenal star is crucial to the club’s future

ARSENE WENGER has hailed Arsenal’s rising star Alex Iwobi.

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Alex Iwobi celebrates scoring against Watford

The 19-year-old, who scored in his first two Premier League starts for the Gunners, has given them a new lease of life.

Recent reports suggest Iwobi has agreed a new long-term deal that will see him pocket £30,000 a week.

And Wenger is convinced that Iwobi, who came through the club’s youth academy, will be key to helping aspiring stars break into the senior team in the years to come.

“It's fantastic. It's one of the basic values at our club and I'm very proud of defending that," Wenger said

Arsenal club fact file

"Iwobi came here at the age of eight years old. That means the club has a meaning for them. 

“That means for the next 10 years, if he makes it, we will have players who really carry the values of the club through the generations. That for me is vital."

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