Headline: Mikel Arteta Assures Arsenal Fans of Commitment Amid Contract Discussions
Mikel Arteta has reassured Arsenal supporters regarding his future at the club, stating he wishes to extend his contract and views the time remaining on his current deal as “not an issue.”
The manager is currently in the final 12 months of the agreement he signed in 2024 but remains calm about the prospect of formal negotiations for a renewal.
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Since taking charge of Arsenal in 2019, Arteta has led the team to their first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
As the Gunners prepare to face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday at 15:00 BST, Arteta addressed concerns some fans might have due to his lack of a new contract ahead of the 2026-27 season.
“No, they don’t have to worry about any of that because I want to be here, I’m extremely happy,” Arteta stated.
“I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and whenever we have the possibility we will resolve that and that’s it.”
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The Gunners aim to build on last season’s achievements while strengthening their squad during the transfer window.
While their pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was unsuccessful, Arsenal has secured midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, Greece international winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, and finalized the permanent transfer of Piero Hincapie from Bayern Leverkusen for a total of £143.5m.
Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has also joined on a free transfer from Leeds United, while Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior, and Christian Norgaard have departed from last season’s squad.
The club remains interested in bolstering their defense with potential signings like Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah of Bayer Leverkusen, especially after injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
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With the transfer window open until September 1, there is a sense within the club that finalizing Arteta’s contract can happen during a quieter period in the season.
“There’s always another priority I think and that’s the way we’ve been treating it,” Arteta added.
“I think because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue.
“I think because my will certainly is to be here and I’m very happy here.
“And my feeling from the club is the same one so I think that’s why everybody doing it things in a really organic way.”
Arsenal also reached the Champions League final last season, where they were defeated by Paris St-Germain. Arteta has frequently expressed his ambition to elevate the team further following that loss.
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“I’m not going to talk about any individuals, obviously what I can tell you is the ambition of the club,” Arteta elaborated.
“It’s big that we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad in order to achieve that.
“We have obviously detected some areas that they can be strengthened and that’s what we are trying to do.”
Mikel Arteta has said that supporters “don’t have to worry about” his future at Arsenal as he wants to extend his contract and the time left on his deal is “not an issue”.
The Gunners boss is into the final 12 months of his agreement that he signed in 2024 but says he is relaxed about formal talks taking place regarding a renewal.
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Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal since 2019 and led the club to their first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday (15:00 BST) and Arteta was asked in his news conference about the concern some supporters may have given he is yet to agreed a new deal before the 2026-27 campaign kicks off.
“No, they don’t have to worry about any of that because I want to be here, I’m extremely happy,” Arteta said.
“I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and whenever we have the possibility we will resolve that and that’s it.”
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The Gunners are attempting to build on their success of last season and strengthen their squad in the transfer window.
They were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr but have signed midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, Greece international winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and made Piero Hincapie’s loan move from Bayern Leverkusen into a permanent transfer for a combined £143.5m.
Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has also arrived on a free transfer from Leeds United while, from last season’s squad, Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Christian Norgaard have been moved on.
The Gunners remain interested in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa or Jarell Quansah of Bayer Leverkusen as a further defensive reinforcement in the market following injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
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With the transfer window open until 1 September, the feeling at the club is that finalising a contract can come at a quieter period in the season.
“There’s always another priority I think and that’s the way we’ve been treating it. Arteta added.
“I think because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue.
“I think because my will certainly is to be here and I’m very happy here.
“And my feeling from the club is is the same one so I think that’s why everybody doing it things in a really organic way.”
Arsenal also reached the Champions League final last season where they were beaten by Paris St-Germain and Arteta has repeatedly spoken of his ambition since that loss to take the Gunners to next level.
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“I’m not going to talk about any individuals, obviously what I can tell you is the ambition of the club.” Arteta said.
“It’s big that we want to improve the squad, we want to evolve the squad in order to achieve that.
“We have obviously detected some areas that they can be strengthened and that’s what we are trying to do.”
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