Mikel Arteta has signed a new contract at Arsenal, committing his future to the club as he enters the final phase of his long-term project. The manager put pen to paper on Thursday, 8 October 2026, to begin what he terms step five: building a dynasty.
Arteta is now the longest-serving manager in English football and is on his fourth deal since arriving in 2019. He outlined a five-step plan upon his appointment, with the final objective always being sustained dominance. "And now we've got to step five, which is the D-word," said Sam Blitz. "Anyone associated with Arsenal will know the D-word is dynasty."
The first step was creating a winning culture at the club, followed by recruiting the right players. Step three was to challenge for top honours, which led to step four: winning and getting over the line. Arsenal are now Premier League champions and consistently reach the latter stages of the Champions League, fulfilling those earlier phases. The new contract coincides directly with the launch of the dynasty-building stage.
Nick Wright noted the scale of the transformation. "The club is unrecognisable from 2019, on and off the pitch," he said. "It's been a collective effort but Arteta is the driving force behind it." Key signings like Gabriel, Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were key in steps two and three.
The project's next phase begins with Arsenal second in the standings, three points behind leaders Manchester City after five games. Their form reads four wins and one defeat from the last five, though the 3-0 loss at Brighton last month exposed imperfections. That was the first time in over three years Arsenal had lost a Premier League game by three goals, a reminder of the standards required. This season, the team has scored eight goals and conceded four, a solid platform as they look ahead to their next fixtures.
Arteta's management style has become more pointed, with criticism of officials drawing comparisons to Jose Mourinho. His handling of the squad is also described as ruthless, moving on players who no longer fit the project due to age or attitude, as seen with Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. He will need to manage an ageing core, with several key players like Gabriel, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz all turning 30 or 31 by 2029.
When fully fit, the attack has proven devastating. The last full season with Bukayo Saka, Havertz and Odegaard available saw Arsenal score a club-record 91 Premier League goals, outscoring any Arsene Wenger team. Currently, Saka leads the scoring charts this season with three goals, contributing to the team's total of eight from their opening five matches.
Arteta, now 44, will have been at the club for a decade in three years' time. By 2029, he would have overtaken Jurgen Klopp's tenure at Liverpool, and by 2030, Pep Guardiola's spell at Manchester City. His work now focuses on ensuring the dynasty outlasts his own tenure, starting with a home game against fifth-placed Leeds this weekend.
More detail at Sky Sports Football
