Mikel Arteta has committed his future to Arsenal after agreeing a new deal with the club.
The Spaniard had a year left to run on his existing contract but has penned an extension that should see him stay at Emirates Stadium until 2025 at least.
The deal, which has long been in the pipeline, is a clear show of faith in the 40-year-old from the Kroenke ownership, and a reward for unexpectedly leading a young squad to the cusp of Champions League qualification.
On his decision to put pen-to-paper on new terms, Arteta said:
“I’m excited, grateful and really, really happy today. When I spoke to Josh [Kroenke] he could see the club at the same point and he wanted to take the club the way I wanted to do it. So everything that he’s said, and that Stan has said when I’ve been together with both of them, they’ve always delivered.
“We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams. In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League. We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level.”
Having called time on his playing career following a five-year stint at Arsenal, Arteta returned to the club as head coach in December 2019. Within 10 months, he was promoted to the role of manager after leading the Gunners to the FA Cup.
While Arsenal struggled on the pitch last season, leading many disgruntled fans to question whether he was the right man for the job, the 40-year-old has quietly strengthened his position behind the scenes.
In contrast to predecessor Unai Emery, Arteta’s influence extends beyond the dressing room and training pitch, taking in responsibilities on the recruitment front alongside technical director Edu.
He’s also been pushing the club’s hierarchy on other fronts, including improving the connection with the supporters, which he considers crucial to the team’s future success.
Most importantly, despite ups and downs on the pitch and falling out with several high-profile players – several of whom were hastily moved on – Arteta is popular with the current squad and has forged a newfound sense of optimism amongst the fans that the club can mix it with the best sides in the league.
At the same time as confirming the extension for Mikel Arteta, Arsenal also announced that Women’s team manager Jonas Eidevall had penned a new deal. Pleased to nail down both men, CEO Vinai Venkatesham said:
“The ambition of this football club is simple, and it comes from the owners down. This football club needs to be competing for the biggest trophies in the game, in Europe and in England on the men’s side and on the women’s side. That’s where we want to get to, we know we’re not there yet, but we’re moving towards that goal. I’m hoping everyone can see the progress that we’re starting to make against that goal.
“Today is a really, really important day because Mikel and Jonas recommitting here to us, to Arsenal, to the project and to the journey.
“There’s a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but with Mikel and Jonas, we’re convinced we have the right people surrounded by the teams around them that can help us get there.”
Arteta is due to face the press later this afternoon as he and his side gear up for Sunday’s clash with Leeds United.
Couldn’t they have waited another couple of weeks? We don’t want any new contract jinxing!!! (Glad they’re both extending tho).
Re-new manager bounce innit
I reckon the timing was deliberate to give us that final push and vote of confidence ahead of the final four games.
Nahhh…The Kronke’s have already decided they want to renew Arteta contract. Given that we don’t know what lies ahead in the final 4 games, and also the fact that we have just won 3 straight Big games…. from PR standpoint its absolutely brilliant timing for them. Personally, I have no problem with the contract extension what so ever as even at this stage, Arteta has already met my minimum expectations. So for me …its fully deserving. However, what I really want is top 4 and I would be ecstatic if we do make top 4 because for me if we… Read more »
I meant the timing of the announcement. Not the timing of the initial contract offer.
I think the timing is very deliberate. Suppose they did wait: If we get top 4, it looks like it was contingent on our qualifying for the champions league. If we don’t, it looks like we’re rewarding disappointment/failure.
Announcing it now is a bit more of a show of faith, and removes it from a lot of the emotion that’s surely going to be circulating in a couple of weeks.
Arteta’s red army
We’ve got Super Mik Arteta,
He knows exactly what we need,
Kieran at the back, Gabi in attack,
Arsenal on the way to Champions League
It would have been weird for another manager to take over the kids in the near future. Let’s back him, but we need a striker, a box to box midfielder and hopefully some full backs to challenge.
A manager capable of making the modern fan patient, while having total buy-in from owners and the players. This is special.
Thanks for your great comment Prakhar 👍 totally aligned
Excellent news.
i know one or two online youtubers that will have a meltdown after this!
The YouTubers aren’t real fans, they deliberately provoke reaction and controversy for more hits and advert revenue. Best just to ignore them and instead comment amongst real fans here on arseblog.
Troodat! And it looks as though most of the Mik-haters have crawled away into the mossy corners of Bile-Ville now, so let’s just push the positivity forward… COYG!
Piers Morgan is on YouTube?
One of my work mates will be fuming right now. He’s always been Arteta out, and stuck to it. I can already imagine it, if top 4 doesn’t happen.
I think I might share the news, just to wind him up.
Coming right after securing top 6 this weekend, which shows it was probably the internal target from the start.
In fairness a reasonable target I think most of us would have been happy with before the season started. It’s a testament to our progress this season that fans now hope for even more.
After the disastrous start of the campaign, to be in the top 6 is actually a decent achievement. Top 4 is a bonus to me.
The start of the campaign wasn’t that disastrous, there was just a massive overreaction from a lot of fans. We were covid hit against Brentford and lost to the two Champions League finalists.
Just incredibly unlucky that both Auba and Laca were covid hit, and then unlucky fixture timing.
100% this! I was firmly of this opinion – even at the time. I have, however, made money out of the situation! An idiot Man United supporter ‘friend’ claimed we would be relegated this season after three games. I responded by stating that we would finish top half of the table, and at least 6 points clear of the team in 11th. He bet me £100!
Enjoy your winnings!
So the beers are literally on Tapp(s) when you get your winnings 🤣. West Ham fan my dad knows had £1,000 on us to be relegated after 3 games & £1,000 on West Ham winning the league 🙊🤣
I agree with you; but for me, CL ceased to be a bonus the day it became a two-horse race between us and Sp*rs.
We must beat them to it.
I can’t wait to see the inevitable Conte meltdown.
Ultimately though any targets that are set need to be relative to what the competition do. When Leicester won the league in 15/16 and we finished 2nd, it was legitimate to think at the start of the year how brilliant it would be to finish ahead of Sp*rs, Chelsea, United, Liverpool etc, but not a single Arsenal fan was looking at that table and not thinking it was a missed opportunity. The fact is this year that United have woefully underperformed, not helped by their managerial situ, Tottenham have been a busted flush (albeit far outperforming where they should be… Read more »
Being in the race for fourth at this stage of the season must be an internal achievement too. Doing it with the youngest squad in the league makes it more special.
I love Mike, I love the young squad and I’ve been an Arteta in man all the way through, but to call finishing 4th ‘special’ come on 😂 remember who we are please.
I agree with your sentiment. But still, it is more special because this team is punching above it’s weight.
The side will strengthen as the players get older and we would be in third without the unfortunate run of losses to Palace up to Southampton. So things are looking better, definitely European football next season (hopefully CL).
Good to see the Kroenkes are more active and hopefully backing Mikel with some good signings this summer (not necessarily huge buys but more on the level of last summer, loads of potential, which was a good one).
I think this also alludes to the fact that the target for this season was qualification to the Europa League which has been achieved and rightly so. The fact that we are in the running for the champions league is a bonus and is a testament to Arteta’s growing credential of becoming a top top manager. The owners see it and know that having him mold this team through its current evolution is the best decision for the now and for the long term stability and competitiveness of the club. The pieces are really starting to fall in place, much… Read more »
Currently there is onoy one other guy that i would like to see in the position, based on results and the connection to the club, and that is Patrick Vieira.
While I have some disagreement with some Artetas views and doings it seems he is at least trying to learn from mistakes and is not afraid to change some things. As someone pointed out, it is remarkable how he tip toes between owners, squads, media and fan approval. So congratz to him and hopefully he can elevavate the club even more! COYG
I’m unsure why the downvotes.
Is it because of Patrick? I was just trying to say that i don’t think there are many others suitable for the job at the moment.
As for disagreements, I wouldn’t go into that in this occasion, I tried to state that even tho he is not perfect, Arteta is growing with the club, and not just the other way around. Which is a positive, I think.
I genuinely don’t get the downvotes, unless my points didn’t come across, I apologize.
lol don’t apologise for getting downvoted, saying your opinion and being disagreed with is a good and healthy thing. Better to be downvoted for holding to your opinion than upvoted for pandering to the opinion of the week. The point about Vieira was an interesting one – I’m not sure he has the credentials but he certainly has the gravitas. But yes I expect people probably misinterpreted it as you wanting Vieira to replace Arteta, since what you seem to have meant isn’t controversial. Hence the downvotes. But honestly just own them. Upvotes are worthless internet points, but downvotes can… Read more »
Gio at Rangers is the one that catches my eye…I look at the list and profile of his players and what they have achieved in Europe this season…just wow..But then I decided to take a look at the Scottish table…they are indeed below Celtic in the league at the moment… Patrick is one of our ex player that I actually like and respected very much during & post his playing days…I can see now why Arsene made him captain despite the presense of some much more senior players at the time. And yeah I agree …he also has done a… Read more »
so top 4 was never a target then?
nor winning the league for the WSL.
Liverpools target this year has been the quadruple, man city’s a european trophy.
Do you think either manager will be sacked if they come within touching distance and miss out in the last month of the campaign?
Mikel and Jonas have done ‘enough’ to warrant new deals.
Got might doubts about Eidevall to be sure.If he was to deliver this years prem I’ll stand corrected.Tactically naive & looks like a rabbit in headlights most of the time & doesn’t appear to be aware that even in the woman’s game a good deal of physicality goes along away Ala Chelsea.
He’s been a disaster, 10 goals conceded this season from 21 games, one loss, goal difference plus 53.
Obviously he hasn’t a clue, amazed we are re-signing him, not resigning him..
Is your nick meant to be sarcastic, then?
beginning but he has turned me around.
Even if we don’t get top four and even we had finnished outside of top six, as I thought we would, he has turned the club around.
This is the craziest, maddest and funniest season for a decade and long may it continue.
I managed to somehow delete half of the first sentence….
That’s all well and good from Vinai. At least this is a bold statement that can’t be retracted. Elite football is where Arsenal should be competing in.
I’m still skeptical as to whether Arteta is actually the man that can actually deliver elite honours for this club.
I also consider it a bad sign that the club is once again concentrating power in the hands of one person. Even Klopp is only still a head coach at Liverpool. Every elite club has done away with that hierarchical structure. We haven’t learnt much it seems.
Well it seems to be working a whole lot better than the 3 seasons we tried the head coach thing. At least the manager now gets the player he wants.
“3 seasons” – 🤔? I thought we only did it in 18/19 and 19/20.
“A whole lot better” – We’re on course to finish with a similar points tally and goal difference to Emery’s first season.
“At least the manager now gets the players he wants” – Nothing wrong with that. It’s a shame Emery couldn’t Nkunku before he left.
Do note managers do judge players wrongly. Jurgen Klopp reportedly wasn’t impressed with Sadio Mane when they first met and didn’t want to sign Mo Salah. I wonder where they’d be today if only his input mattered.
Sorry for saying 3 seasons instead of 2, I’ll go and do some sort of walk of shame down avenell road or something.
Other than that, I’m not entirely sure what your point is other than displaying you irrational dislike for arteta?
Now maybe emery wasn’t given enough time but he didn’t leave any mark on the club either and the football was turgid for the most part.
Absolutely fantastic news.
No less than he deserves. He has remained unfailingly dignified and resolute amidst some disgraceful vitriol from ‘fans’ over the past few seasons. He clearly knew what he wanted to achieve and quietly stuck to his guns (ouch!), week on week, month on month, moulding a tight-knit unit of young, committed talent and repairing a severely dented culture. I doubt someone new to Arsenal could have done this – it was Mik’s deep respect for – and knowledge of – The Arsenal: something Arsene had taken on and amplified over 2 decades, but which had been so sadly tarnished by… Read more »
Not gonna lie, when we appointed Arteta I was absolutely against it. Even though he’s gotten rid of a couple of players I’d have kept (Guendouzi and Torriera) I personally think he’s done a decent job so far, even if we end up with Europa League at worst. With a couple of strikers who’re actually good at their primary job next season we’ll be sooo much better.
A missed opportunity to appoint a more experienced, tactically astute manager with man-management skills. And Arteta leaves with his reputation enhanced.
I think we need to appreciate that when the club was at such a low level Mikel had the conviction to take the job on to the best of his ability. When you see how the club ‘decision makers’ continuously blamed the manager since the toxic exit of Wenger, hiding behind the managers who they contractually gave them less influence over transfers. Gave way to the ill fated Raul era where this became a systematic thing carried on in very financially and reputation ally damaging ways. To reduce the power of a manager back down to simply a coach but… Read more »
It has to be pointed out that the bad eggs which were in the team were bought in during the time that the media and some fans decided that it was right to portray Wenger as someone who didn’t have the best interests of Arsenal and wouldn’t spend big. At the same time Gazidis who wanted to make a name for himself and stating things such as being able to afford Messi, perhaps raised eyebrows of every agent and nefarious Raul type people wringing their hands in anticipation in a cash rich club changing their cautious approach to agents. Gazidis… Read more »
Wenger was past it and had lost his nerve, throwing up in the bathroom while Mikel and Per took control of the team. Stop making stupid excuses for him. He should’ve left years before he did and his control freakery created the power vacuum that Sanllehi took advantage of. Gazidis was employed by Wenger ffs because everyone was so in awe of his past that they didn’t have the balls to challenge him.