Arsenal confident of new long-term deal for manager Mikel Arteta with Spaniard in final year Emirates deal

Arsenal remain confident Mikel Arteta will commit to his long-term future at the Emirates, talkSPORT understands.

The Spaniard, who took command of the Gunners In December 2019, he entered the final year of his contract in North London.

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talkSPORT reported in May how Arsenal were on the verge of offering Arteta a huge salary increase to make him the highest paid coach in history.

With the new 2024/25 season underway, some Arsenal fans have been left nervous that their former captain could leave next year.

But talkSPORT understands that is not the case, with club directors believing it is just a matter of when, not if, he will sign new terms.

Both Arsenal and Arteta are calm about the situation and believe they are in no rush to finalize an agreement.

Arteta has repeatedly stated that he sees his future at Arsenal as he hopes to guide the club to their first Premier League title since the Invincibles in 2004.

Speaking about his situation last month, he said: “There is no update [on his contract] at the moment.

“What hasn’t changed is how happy I am and how valued I feel here and how much I love representing this club.

“Things happen naturally and our relationship is so good that I don’t foresee any problems happening.

“But things need to develop in the right way and that will happen.”

He had previously stated: “We have a great relationship with everyone at the football club. I’m really happy where I am and things will work themselves out.”

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Arteta, who won the FA Cup in his first season in charge of Arsenal, has led the team to consecutive second-place finishes in the league.

Arsenal finished with 89 points last season – their second-highest tally – while winning their most games (28) and scoring their most goals (91).

For Arteta, the focus will now be on preparing the team for Saturday’s clash against Aston Villa, a ground they lost 1-0 at last season.

And Arteta could soon welcome a new recruit, with Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino of interest.

Negotiations are at an advanced stage between the two sides, with the 28-year-old set to return to England following a spell at Newcastle.

With Merino seemingly on his way, Hale End graduates Eddie Nketiah and Charlie Patino look set to be on their way to Nottingham Forest and Deportivo de La Coruna respectively.

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