Mikel Arteta doesn’t desire the kind of longevity Arsene Wenger had at Arsenal, and even staying for another four years may be unrealistic, according to a report.
James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that sources close to Mikel Arteta suggest the Arsenal manager has never sought to be a long-standing manager like Arsene Wenger, or Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Some sources even believe that the idea of Arteta matching Pep Guardiola’s 10-year spell at Manchester City is unrealistic.
Given the Arsenal coach has already spent six years in north London, that would suggest he might be in the latter half of his spell with the club now.
McNicholas adds that there is an acceptance that sooner or later, Arteta will need a break, such is the intensity with which he’s been working and living this project.
At the same time, the report suggests that stepping away from Arsenal at this stage of that project would be difficult, and the manager’s family are settled in London.
The list of clubs Arteta would consider is also relatively short, given he’d want to be competing at the top and he’d want financial backing. So that’s another point in favour of staying where he is.
Contract talks would usually be expected to start in spring 2026, given Arteta has a deal lasting until 2027, though there’s no certainty that will be the case this time.
Arsenal fans will likely feel Arteta still has a lot to offer and something to prove with the club. For all the progress the Gunners have made, the manager himself admitted on Friday that “we haven’t won any major trophies yet”.
If Arteta steps away from the club before delivering a Premier League or Champions League title, it will certainly be a disappointing end given how close the team seem to be to such successes.
But perhaps if Arsenal do win major trophies over the next couple of seasons, Arteta would then start to feel his work was done.