Mikel Arteta was saluted by the co-chair Josh Kroenke for taking “the team to another level in an Arsenal way” after the manager signed a new contract until 2027.
Negotiations had been taking place for some time, with Arteta saying in June the situation “motivates me, keeps me on my toes, and it keeps me hungry to go again” after he led Arsenal to successive second-place finishes in the Premier League.
Arteta, appointed as manager in December 2019, had entered the final 12 months of a previous extension that he signed in May 2022. The 42-year-old said at the end of last month that talks had been put on hold until the transfer window closed but called for calm among supporters after he was linked with his former club Barcelona in the summer.
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Before Sunday’s north London derby at Tottenham, Arsenal confirmed Arteta had committed his future to the club where he served as captain under Arsène Wenger.
“I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next,” Arteta said. “I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club. I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.
“We are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”
Kroenke, who conducted negotiations with Arteta alongside the sporting director, Edu, said: “We’re delighted to have extended Mikel’s contract. Mikel is a dynamic and passionate manager, who is relentless in the pursuit of excellence. He has a deep understanding of Arsenal’s values, and since joining us as head coach in December 2019, he has taken the team to another level in an Arsenal way. There is a great collective team spirit at the club, and with the strong relationships we hold between us and belief in what we do, we look forward with excitement and confidence, as we continue our aim – to win together.”
Arteta was an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before succeeding Unai Emery at the Emirates and won the FA Cup in his first season. Arsenal have been transformed into title contenders under their former midfielder but missed out again to City last season despite picking up 89 points – a total bettered at Arsenal only by Wenger’s Invincibles.
Arteta will be without three key midfielders on Sunday, with Declan Rice suspended after his red card against Brighton and Martin Ødegaard and Mikel Merino injured. Arsenal hope the forward Gabriel Jesus could play some part after he missed the past two matches with a groin injury.
