Mikel Arteta has agreed a long-term contract extension with Arsenal that includes a hefty pay rise in recognition of his success last season and could take his reign as the manager beyond a decade.
The three-year deal he signed in September 2024 expires at the end of this season and talks have been ongoing since May when Arsenal ended their long wait to be champions. Negotiations were put on hold during the summer transfer window but the Spaniard has reached a verbal agreement to extend his stay for a second time.
The length of the contract is unknown but it is understood Arteta, who took over from Unai Emery in December 2019, will commit his future for at least another three years. The 44-year-old is the Premier League’s longest-serving manager after the departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City at the end of last season.
Arsenal have been keen to reward Arteta for transforming the club. His current contract is believed to be worth about £10m a season plus a £5m bonus for reaching the Champions League. The new deal will cement his status as one of the best-paid managers in the world.
As well as leading Arsenal to a first Premier League title since 2004, Arteta last season guided them to the Champions League final, which they lost to Paris Saint-Germain in a penalty shootout in Budapest. The club started this season with seven straight wins in all competitions before Saturday’s surprise 3-0 defeat at Brighton.
Arteta reiterated before that game that he was relaxed about his contract situation. “I think we are all very much aligned,” he said. “Whenever the time is right, we’ll get that done. There is nothing to be concerned about. I think we both have the same ambition and the same will.”
Arsenal are also keen to extend Declan Rice’s contract, the England midfielder having entered the final two years of his deal. It is understood the club have an option to extend it by 12 months but would like to agree new terms in line with their policy of securing Arteta’s most important players on long-term contracts.
