Arsenal are set to pick up contract talks with Mikel Arteta, with an expectation at the club that the manager will ultimately commit and renew his deal.
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that Arsenal and Mikel Arteta initially shelved contract talks to focus on the end of the 2025/26 campaign, but those negotiations will pick up again over the summer.
It’s not expected that there will be any final decision taken until Arteta returns from holiday, but there was positive progress during initial conversations, and the expectation at the Emirates is that it’s a case of when he renews, rather than if.
All the same, the club are remaining cautious, and a new contract would require a major increase on Arteta’s current wages – of up to £15m a season. With Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City, such an increase would make Arteta the Premier League’s best-paid manager.
Sam Wallace confirms for The Telegraph that during contract talks in January, Arteta suggested that he’d need a very significant increase on his current terms.
Wallace claims there’s still much to be negotiated before manager and club can reach an agreement, and Arteta will likely insist on being the highest-paid manager in the Premier League.
Arsenal will obviously be keen to keep Arteta, given he’s just led the club to the Premier League title and the Champions League and League Cup finals. But they’ll also likely have their limits for how much they’re willing to offer the manager.
From a fan perspective, the hope will be that the two parties can quickly find a compromise and announce an extension before the summer is out. Managerial contract conversations will only serve as a distraction when the new season gets underway.
- Arsenal to open talks for £35m winger soonArsenal are reportedly set to open transfer talks with Club Brugge for Christos Tzolis soon, but they’re yet to do so at this stage.
- Besiktas president reveals details of Arsenal-Trossard negotiationsBesiktas president Serdal Adali has revealed that Arsenal wanted to include a sell-on clause in Leandro Trossard’s contract, and that the Trukish club have been trying to sign him for a year.
- Arsenal players hold training camp ahead of pre-season startArsenal players are holding an unofficial start to pre-season in Marbella this week, ahead of their official first day back next Monday.
- What Saliba said before France injury substitutionWilliam Saliba was forced off during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain on Tuesday, as his back injury flared up once again.
- Declan Rice fit to start for England v ArgentinaDeclan Rice is expected to start England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina despite injury and illness concerns.