Mikel Arteta speaks out on new Arsenal contract as boss ready to commit

Mikel Arteta is poised to pledge his future to Arsenal, with contract negotiations expected to kick off next month. The Gunners’ gaffer has downplayed any urgency regarding the extension of his tenure, with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023.

Under Arteta’s leadership over the past five years, Arsenal has risen to become a formidable force in the Premier League, challenging for the title and looking to re-establish themselves at the top of English football.

Arteta, who reportedly earns £9million annually, was expected to sign a new deal after the previous season concluded. However, talks are now scheduled to commence following the closure of the summer transfer window.

Arteta reassured fans and the club, saying: “I don’t think anybody has to panic. We have done it in the past and it has never been an issue – and I don’t expect that to happen.”

The Arsenal boss emphasised that the delay was due to focusing on the transfer market, stating: “We are on it and we will take care of that in the right moment. The focus has been on the transfer window. We had quite a lot of things to do and discuss.”

Content at the Emirates, Arteta expressed his satisfaction and hopes the club shares his sentiment: “I’m in the place where I want to be and am really happy – hopefully the club thinks the same thing.

“I work with the players every day and when I am talking to them, having discussions and planning things, you sense in their eyes that belief and hunger is still there.”

Arsenal’s resurgence under Arteta has positioned them as the primary challengers to Manchester City’s dominance, with Pep Guardiola in charge of City since 2016 and Jurgen Klopp recently ending his nine-year stint at Liverpool. Arteta, focused on the present and future, added: “I see today and tomorrow. That is the reality as managers and we have to live with that urgency.

“Looking two-three years down the line, you have to plan because what happens to the club afterwards depends on how good the results we get are – that’s it. That’s the reality. In the meantime, do your best and enjoy it if you can.”