Mikel Arteta has moved to quell any doubts about his Arsenal future despite entering the final year of his contract.
Arteta ended Arsenal’s 22-year wait to win the Premier League in May, while the club’s co-chairman Josh Kroenke said after that victory that tying the Spaniard to a new deal was an ‘utmost priority’.
No deal appears to have materialised as of yet, however, although Arteta stressed that all parties are merely focused on other priorities and that he is ‘extremely happy’ at the club.
Ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Manchester City in Cardiff, Arteta said: ‘They (the fans) don’t have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here. I am extremely happy. I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and when we have the possibility, we will resolve that. And that’s it.
‘There is always another priority, I think! And that’s the way we have been treating it, 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 am very happy here. My feeling from the club is the same one. That is why everyone is doing things in a really organic way.’
Arsenal’s co-chairman Josh Kroenke said after winning the Premier League that tying Arteta down to a new deal was an ‘utmost priority’
The 44-year-old joined the club as head coach in December 2019, three years after retiring from the side as a player, and has brought a period of sustained success.
After winning the FA Cup with Arsenal in his second year in charge, he made Arsenal title challengers, finishing second in three consecutive seasons between 2023 and 2025 before guiding them to their first Premier League title since 2003-04 last season.
Last season he also took Arsenal to their first Champions League final in 20 years, but they were ultimately defeated on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta, who has previously warned that success is the ‘new standard’, admitted that he has been left surprised by the summer’s transfer fees as the club hunts for reinforcements.
The likes of Morgan Rogers, who was pursued by the Gunners, signed for Chelsea for £117m. Manchester City have also signed Elliot Anderson for £116m and Tottenham paid Newcastle £100m for Sandro Tonali. The north London club, meanwhile, have been reluctant to pay over the odds for players.
Their marquee signing, Bruno Guimaraes, was brought in for £75m after a protracted saga, while they also paid £34m for striker Christos Tzolis and made Piero Hincapie’s loan move permanent for £35m.
Arteta added: ‘Yes, it has (transfer fees surprised me). I wouldn’t bet on that (such high prices), to be fair. But that’s the market.
‘There are clubs that are happy to invest or they believe that the valuations of those players are that.
‘And that’s fair. At the end, the value of a player is what somebody can pay for you and they’ve done it.’
Arteta also hinted that Ethan Nwaneri could be heading for the exit door.
The 19-year-old sat on the Marseille bench in the second half of last season following Roberto De Zerbi’s exit, and he is being tracked by multiple clubs, including Galatasaray.
He said: ‘It’s unquestionable the talent, the desire, the love and the passion he has for the game. It’s something that I’ve always loved about Ethan. I think he’s had some great games and he’s shown everybody that he has the ability to be here.
‘I want him to be at the club, but only if it’s something that, in the medium to long term, is best for the player as well. Ethan needs to play football and if he stays here it’s because we can guarantee that he can have those minutes.
‘Otherwise it’s just something that is not good for anybody, I think.’
Arsenal will play Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, with kick-off at 3pm. The match is being broadcast on TNT Sports.
