Arsenal finalise new Arteta contract — SkimNews
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- Arsenal are in the process of finalising a new long-term contract for Mikel Arteta, with well-placed sources saying discussions have moved forward recently amid confidence the Spaniard will renew.
- Arteta will become one of the best-paid managers in world football once signed — his current deal is worth £10m a season plus an extra £5m upon Champions League qualification, and Arsenal are committed to "significantly improving" on those terms.
- Arteta removed any lingering doubt last month, saying "my will certainly is to be here and I'm very happy here," while chief executive Richard Garlick called the new deal "merely a matter of time."
- Since his December 2019 appointment, Arteta has transformed Arsenal from a club that had lost its Champions League status to Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years last season — and is already the longest-serving manager in the Premier League and EFL.
- Arteta was at the forefront of the club's failed charm offensives for Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez, while summer arrivals Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa — both turning 30 next year — reflect the elite-spending ambition he made clear he wanted to see.
- Arsenal are overwhelming favourites to retain their domestic crown and are fancied to win their first-ever Champions League this season, with the squad's average age of 26.2 placing it among the oldest in the Premier League.
Why it matters: Arsenal are locking in the architect of last season's first Premier League title in 22 years on significantly improved terms — beyond his current £10m-per-year base plus £5m Champions League bonus — committing to a manager whose authority now spans recruitment, squad construction, and charm offensives for elite targets like Vinicius Jr and Alvarez, ensuring continuity as the club chases a maiden Champions League crown.
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