A report from Spain claims that Arsenal’s owners are pushing Mikel Arteta to sign a new long-term contract but that the manager is in no hurry with apparent interest coming from elsewhere.
Sport in Spain want you to think that Mikel Arteta is in no rush to commit his future to Arsenal because Barcelona and Manchester City might be interested in bringing him to their clubs in the future.
The reality is there is no rush from either side on this.
Arteta only signed a new deal in May 2022 which tied him to the club until the end of the 24/25 season (although, annoyingly, that is when Pep Guardiola’s new City extension ends).
That contract renewal also came with a hefty payrise, taking Arteta up to £8.3m-a-year (£159kpw), making him the fifth highest-paid manager in the Premier League at that time.
That is, of course, some distance from the £19m-a-year Guardiola was getting before his new deal.
Given the age of the squad Arteta has specifically built at the club it seems unlikely he is doing that with an eye on leaving in just two years.
Speaking when it was announced recently that Edu had been made Arsenal’s first ever Sporting director, Arteta said, “I just hope he stays here for a long time because I think it’s going to be a really positive thing for the club.
“I work with him really well, I think he’s a super important figure at the club who represents all the values and ideas that we want, to do everything in the right way, and hopefully that will be the case.
“There is a lot happening in a football club and he has a huge role and he has a really good way of communicating with people and managing a lot of things that happen daily. For me and for the team he is really important.”
It’s also worth noting that Arsenal are currently trying to get Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka to renew their deals and being able to point to Arteta’s commitment will go a long way to helping do just that.
Of course, things change in football, but I wouldn’t be concerned about Arteta and his future at the club right now.