MIKEL ARTETA signs new three year deal with Arsenal

Thursday, September 12, 2024 - Mikel Arteta has signed a new three-year contract at Arsenal, extending his current deal as manager until 2027.

The 42-year-old has been in charge of Arsenal since 2019 and has led them to successive second-place Premier League finishes but had entered the final 12 months of his deal at the club.

His new deal comes on the eve of Arsenal's Super Sunday clash against fierce rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

In his first season in charge, Arsenal lifted the FA Cup in 2020, while they secured two Community Shield victories in 2020 and 2023.

Arteta said: "I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next. I'm proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club.

"I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we've already done together.

"Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team.

"Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together."

In the first two seasons under Arteta, Arsenal finished in eighth spot. Their finish there in the 2020/21 season saw them miss out on European football for the first time in 25 years.

After an improved fifth-place finish the following year, they qualified for the Europa League, before successive second-place finishes behind Manchester City. It saw them return to Champions League competition for the first time since the 2016/17 season.

The 2023/24 season saw Arsenal win their highest-ever number of Premier League games (28), amassing 89 points - just two behind Pep Guardiola's side. It is an addition of 33 points since Arteta's arrival, with each season showing a steady increase in points total.