Mikel Arteta believes uncertainty over his Arsenal future is a "helpful" motivator but is confident that "things will take care of themselves" when it comes to his contract.
Arteta's current contract runs out at the end of next season but the Spaniard is thought to have begun talks with the club over an extension.
The Arsenal boss is relaxed about the situation and says the lack of clarity helps to keep him hungry for success.
“In football, it's about today and what we're going to do today and what you hopefully can do tomorrow,” Arteta said.
“[In] this profession I think having this uncertainty is quite helpful. At least it motivates me, keeps me on my toes, and it keeps me hungry to go again. I think we have a great relationship with everybody at the football club. I’m really happy where I am, and things will take care of themselves.”
Arsenal missed out on the title to Arteta's former club Manchester City for a second consecutive season, finishing two points behind their Pep Guardiola's side despite winning all but two of their league matches in 2024.
“No regrets,” said Arteta, when reflecting on the title race in an interview with CNN.
“You look at moments in the season, but this season's been almost perfect. To make the amount of points that we made – both us and City – in this competitive league... We cannot compare this league to what happened two years ago, three years ago, five years ago. Those numbers... it won't happen. The level of the league – it’s [at] a different stage now. Now [it’s time to] recharge, try to be stronger, seeing where the margins are and go again next season.
“I think it's been a really exciting season right up to the last minutes of the last day and we are fighting for the Premier League. I think we built so much excitement as well as belief around our fans, around the players, around the club that we really wanted to deliver that moment to them. I think they deserve it. I think the team deserves it. You have to congratulate Man City at the end after 38 games. Two points more than us and they are the winners.
“I congratulated [Pep], all the staff. At the end they deserved it. They were the winners. We keep chasing it and trying to be better than them. One is the professional relationship and that competition and then there's obviously all the personal feelings that I have towards him and all the staff. I spent four beautiful years over there [in Manchester], and that's never going to change.”
Arteta is confident Arsenal will improve again next season and believes "lifting trophies" is the next step for his talented young squad.
“I'm a winner and it takes me a while when I don't reach the dreams," he said.
“I think we should be very proud of what we've done throughout this season both in European competition and the Premier League. But as well, that feeling of being disappointed and not having the Premier League in our hands is painful.
“[We] look again [to the future]," he added. "All the margins, squad-wise, the process that we have at the football club, our methodology, especially on how we can make our players better, more competitive, more consistent and cause them to raise the level and be better than the previous season.
“I think our focus has to be with what we have already in house, ‘How can we be better?’. There are margins and there are players that can still develop and be better and that's the objective that we have.
“Every decision we're going to make is to be better, without losing who we are and everything that is taking us in the position that we are now as a football club, as a team. The ambition is there. The players, the staff... you can sense it. They want much more. They want to start lifting trophies and that's the next step.”
