Arsenal close to finalising Mikel Arteta's new long-term contract

Arsenal are close to finalising a new contract for Mikel Arteta, a renewal the club regards as their most important move after the summer transfer window. The Spanish manager, who arrived in December 2019, has only nine months remaining on his current deal, and both sides have moved decisively closer in recent weeks. There is full confidence at the Emirates that the agreement will be announced shortly.

• Arteta will become one of the best-paid managers in world football thanks to a significant improvement on his current terms.
• His existing contract expires in nine months, and the club is working to remove any lingering uncertainty over his future.
• The manager transformed Arsenal into Premier League champions last season, their first title in 22 years.
• The board backed him with major signings and showed real ambition in the market to support his project.

An expected deal moving into its final stage

Negotiations to extend Arteta's stay in north London have gained momentum recently. Sources close to the talks indicate that discussions have advanced and that the Spanish manager will renew with Arsenal, an outcome that is taken for granted around the club. Arteta himself moved to remove any lingering doubt weeks ago by saying everyone felt comfortable with the timing and that his clear wish was to continue.

Everybody feels comfortable that the timing of the contract is not going to be an issue because my will certainly is to be here and I am very happy here. My feeling from the club is the same one.

Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick struck a similar tone, describing the renewal as merely a matter of time. That shared optimism points to an imminent official announcement, with a long-term deal that will secure the architect of the club's resurgence.

A top-tier salary for a winning project

The new contract will place Arteta among the elite earners in the world of management. His current terms, worth £10m per season plus an extra £5m for qualifying for the Champions League, will be significantly improved. The club's owners committed to rewarding the impact of the Spaniard, who restored Arsenal to the top of the Premier League after more than two decades.

That financial backing is matched by genuine sporting ambition. The summer arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa were sizeable investments for a squad already dominant domestically. Meanwhile, the failed pursuits of Julián Álvarez and Vinicius Jr made it clear that the American owners are willing to spend heavily on elite talent.

Arteta's total authority at the Emirates

Since his arrival six years ago, Arteta has built a level of power reminiscent of Arsène Wenger in his most dominant era. Nothing moves at first-team level without his approval, and his fingerprints are visible across every part of the club, from squad building to transfer strategy. That unquestioned authority is rare in elite dugouts, but at Arsenal it has become the engine of the project.

The manager's role was on full display during the final weeks of the market. Arteta led the charm offensive in attempts to sign Julián Álvarez and Vinicius Jr, proof of his weight in recruitment decisions. Far from viewing it as a risk, the board sees it as the foundation on which recent success has been built.

Spain on the horizon, but no rush

One day the Spain national team or a return to LaLiga could tempt Arteta, who knows he is unlikely to be granted the same authority at clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona. Those institutions carry entrenched internal politics that limit managerial power, whereas London has offered him an environment tailored to his needs.

Renewed ambition and a squad at its peak

Arteta leads a squad with an average age of 26.2 years, one of the oldest in the Premier League and built to deliver immediately. It is a group in its prime, holding the domestic title and favoured to retain it, while also considered a serious contender to win the club's first-ever Champions League. Walking away now seems remote when the project is reaching full boil.

Arteta is already by some distance the longest-serving manager across the Premier League and EFL. A new deal would take him close to a decade in the Arsenal dugout and confirm there is no sign of him easing off. On the contrary, the club is giving him more tools to extend an era that is only just beginning.

Frequently asked questions about Arteta's Arsenal renewal