Arsenal are nearing an agreement with Mikel Arteta on a new long-term contract, with a deal expected to be completed within the next few weeks.
Key takeaways
- Contract talks between Arsenal and Arteta are approaching their conclusion.
- The manager has made clear that he wants to remain with the club.
- Chief executive Richard Garlick previously described the agreement as only a question of time.
- Arteta is set for a substantial pay rise from his current £10 million annual salary.
- Arsenal have rebuilt their status as Premier League champions and are targeting European success.
New deal nearing completion
With the transfer window shut until January, Arsenal’s attention has turned to completing the long-running negotiations over Arteta’s renewal. Discussions are understood to be progressing towards a settlement in the coming weeks.
Arteta sought to end speculation about his position last month, insisting that he is happy in north London and intends to stay. He said both he and the club were comfortable with the timing of the process, adding that the work was advancing naturally because both sides shared the same view.
Garlick has offered similar reassurance, saying that confirmation of a fresh long-term agreement was simply a “matter of time”.
Once the paperwork is signed, Arteta is expected to join the ranks of the highest-paid coaches in world football. Arsenal have committed to substantially improving his existing terms, which currently provide £10m per season, with a further £5m available if the club qualify for the Champions League.
Supporters are eager for the announcement, especially as only nine months remain on the manager’s current contract.
Arteta’s Arsenal transformation
Arteta took charge in December 2019 and has since guided Arsenal from a team that had fallen out of the Champions League places to Premier League champions, ending a 22-year wait for the domestic title last season.
Arsenal are strong favourites to defend their league crown and are also regarded as leading contenders to claim the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history this season.
