Mikel Arteta has moved to calm concerns among Arsenal supporters regarding his future, assuring fans that his contract situation will be resolved in due course. The manager, who guided the club to a historic Premier League title in May—ending a 22-year drought—is entering the final year of his current deal.
Despite the upcoming 2026-27 season opener against Manchester City in the Community Shield this Sunday, there has been little public movement on a new agreement. Arteta, who has been with the north London side since 2019, last signed an extension in 2024 and maintains that he remains fully committed to the club.
“They don’t have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here,” Arteta stated. He emphasized his gratitude for his current working environment, adding, “I am extremely happy. I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with, and when we have the possibility, we will resolve that. And that’s it.”
The manager explained that the club’s focus during the close season has been directed toward transfer activity rather than contract negotiations. “There is always another priority, I think! That’s the way we have been treating it, because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue,” he noted, highlighting that his desire to remain at the club matches the sentiment from the board.
Arsenal has been active in the market, securing Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Club Brugge forward Christos Tzolis. The club also finalized a permanent deal for Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen and signed goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer. While pursuits of players like Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers were unsuccessful, Arteta remains satisfied with his current squad.
Arteta addressed the aggressive spending of rivals such as Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea, who have each invested 100 million pounds ($135m) on individual signings. Despite these high-profile moves, the Arsenal boss expressed confidence in his team’s direction and the club’s ambition, even as he continues to be linked with defensive targets like Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah.
“I am really happy with the squad, the players that I have and I am really happy with the ambition of the club,” Arteta said. He acknowledged that Arsenal must operate differently than other clubs, stating, “We have super strengths and we have other areas we need to be very conscious because we don’t have the elements or the structure that other clubs have.”
Ultimately, the manager remains focused on maintaining a competitive edge. “We need to do it our way. We are always on it that way and we will do what we believe is the right thing to do. To have the best possibility to compete in every competition, that’s for sure,” he concluded.
Arteta ended Arsenal’s 22-year wait to win the Premier League in May and was expected to sign a new contract as a reward for that historic success.
My feeling from the club is the same one.
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