Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that supporters "don't have to worry about" his future at the club as he wants to extend his contract. 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.
What happened?
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about his contract situation, reassuring fans that he wants to stay at the club.
Why it matters for Arsenal
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.
What comes next?
Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday 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."
Arsenal are 7 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, having accumulated 71 goals this season and conceding 27. They are on a 5-game winning run, with their last result being a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on 24 May 2026. 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. 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.
"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."
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.
