Mikel Arteta’s 2022 contract extension was somewhat controversial at the time, and Tim Lewis has explained why Arsenal decided to give him the deal.

Back in May 2022, Arsenal announced that they’d handed Mikel Arteta a new three-year deal, a few weeks before the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign.

At the time, the contract raised some questions among the supporters, with Arsenal only narrowly inside the top four and the potential to drop out in the final weeks of the campaign.

So it proved, with the Gunners missing out on Champions League football. Some then suggested the club should have waited to see how the season ended before committing to Arteta.

A year later, there aren’t many people still questioning the decision.

Arsenal shot up into title contention in 2022/23, easily qualifying for the Champions League and pushing on again with some strong signings this summer.

But perhaps you could argue it was a bit of a gamble on Arsenal’s end, committing to Arteta before any of that had happened.

Arsenal executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis has explained why the club opted to hand the manager a new deal at that moment in time.

“We didn’t think he was on a contract that reflected his contribution, or where he was in the marketplace, and we wanted to get ahead of the curve,” Lewis explained to The Telegraph.

“We also knew we had a seriously talented guy on our hands. I think we all see it.

“[Arteta is] incredibly passionate, clever, committed, and inventive. It’s a relationship. It’s important to know that people around you are supportive. Mikel wants to win. And he wants to win here.”

Just over a year later, the average Arsenal fan surely wouldn’t be disappointed even if Arteta extended his deal again, beyond 2025.

The squad is in a great place to challenge and evolve over the coming years, and consistency in management could certainly help that process.

The timing of Arteta’s previous extension was a big call, but it looks like one the Arsenal hierarchy got right.