Arsenal's Vito Mannone may extend Hull City loan

Mannone signed a contract extension with Arsenal earlier this year

Hull City's on-loan goalkeeper Vito Mannone has said he is open to the idea of extending his stay at the KC Stadium until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old is expected to return to Arsenal in January, but has kept clean sheets in his opening two games after replacing Matt Duke in goal.

Mannone told BBC Radio Humberside: "If both the club and myself are still happy in January, why not?"

He is set to keep his place for the visit to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

He added: "I'm settled now in Hull, we got seven points from the last three games so we need to build on this.

"I'm just beginning to see how Hull is, and I'm [pleasantly] surprised because people did not say so many nice things about it, but I like it - it's at the seaside, and it's less busy than London.

"I had to be a little bit patient before I got my chance, but in the end it has worked out, and I've been happy to be in the team for the last two matches."

His current loan deal with Hull runs out on 3 January.

Mannone, who has won seven caps for Italy's under-21 side, signed a new contract with the Gunners earlier this year but has been unable to establish himself as a regular in the side ahead of Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski.

BBC Radio Humberside will run a full interview with Vito Mannone in the Saturday Sport programme, starting at 1330 GMT.