Arteta on Arsenal future: I have to earn new deal

hm.as.prod@gmail.com20 December 20251 Mins read10

Mikel Arteta in the dugout at the Emirates Stadium.

Details

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that he may stay at the club beyond his current contract, but emphasized that he would have to earn any new deal. The 43-year-old Spaniard has 18 months remaining on his existing agreement and has been instrumental in the team’s resurgence over the past six years.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Everton, which marks the sixth anniversary of his appointment as Gunners boss, Arteta acknowledged that he has a long-term future at the club, but stressed that it is not solely dependent on him. “I have to earn the right to be here tomorrow,” he said. “That is how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you.”
Arteta’s comments come as the club is set to offer new contracts to key players Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. While he refused to speculate on his own long-term future, he acknowledged that players have asked him about his plans during contract negotiations. “They do ask me, but I cannot lie to them,” he said. “I don’t know. It is something that does not depend on me.”
However, Arteta expressed his commitment to the club and its players, citing the team’s impressive record and the players’ desire to learn and improve. “For six years, I have seen just players with a level of attention and desire to learn and give the maximum to the team,” he said. “That is what keeps me in this job. Nothing else.”

Key Quotes

* “I have to earn the right to be here tomorrow. That is how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you.”
* “They do ask me, but I cannot lie to them. I don’t know. It is something that does not depend on me.”
* “For six years, I have seen just players with a level of attention and desire to learn and give the maximum to the team. That is what keeps me in this job. Nothing else.”