Mikel Arteta agrees new Arsenal contract – three reasons why it is a no-brainer

Mikel Arteta has agreed to commit his long-term future to Arsenal and is about to sign a new contract that runs until 2027. The Arsenal manager’s existing deal is to expire at the end of this season and the club have now moved to end any uncertainty over the highly-rated 42-year-old.

A new deal for Arteta was considered just a matter of time given his success since taking over as head coach in December 2019.

Arteta led Arsenal to FA Cup glory in the summer of 2020 and has since overseen two thrilling title challenges. Arsenal finished second behind Manchester City on both occasions but the club believe they are on the right path as they seek major silverware this year.

Here, Telegraph Sport analyses why Arsenal were so keen to secure Arteta’s future — and how he has been able to turn the club around.

‌Year-on-year improvement

On the most basic level, Arteta has made Arsenal better with each year he has been in the job. Few teams in Premier League history have ever experienced such a consistent upward trajectory over such a sustained period of time.

Since his appointment, Arteta has led Arsenal to an improved points tally in each campaign. In 2019-20, they finished with 56 points. Last season, they finished with 89.

In the last two seasons, Arsenal have broken the club record for goals in a Premier League campaign. In 2022-23, they scored 88 goals, then in 2023-24 scored 91 goals. Last season they also had the best defence in the league, with only 29 goals conceded.

With each passing season, Arsenal have become a more dominant team with fewer defensive vulnerabilities. All the trends are moving in the right direction.

Making players better

One of the most important responsibilities of any coach is to improve the players at his disposal. Turning good players into great players is so often the key to success in the Premier League, and Arteta has excelled in this regard.

The most obvious example is Bukayo Saka, who was playing as a left-back when Arteta first took over the team. Saka has since developed into one of the most fearsome right-wingers in the European game, and a genuine star of the England national team.

Martin Odegaard has also been able to fulfil his enormous potential since moving to Arsenal, while the likes of Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes have become more dependable and impressive with each season.

Another example of Arteta’s coaching is Kai Havertz, who showed only glimpses of his ability during his time at Chelsea. Last season, following his move from Stamford Bridge, he struggled in midfield before Arteta redeployed him as a centre-forward. He ended the campaign as one of Europe’s most effective attacking players.

Success in the transfer market

It should be said that not all of the players inherited by Arteta improved under his watch. Many were removed from the club in unceremonious circumstances, as Arteta and sporting director Edu targeted younger and more versatile options in the transfer market.

Arteta is not the sole reason for Arsenal’s successful recruitment, but he is clearly a big part of it. Many of the players joined the club because of their excitement to work with the Arsenal manager, who is known to deliver hugely compelling pitches to potential targets. One source described a player as being almost “brainwashed” in a meeting with Arteta, such was his desperation to join Arsenal.

Under Arteta’s management, Arsenal have spent around £700 million on new signings. Of that spend (not including the £70 million spent on new signings Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino this summer), around £550 million is widely considered to be good business. The biggest deals – Declan Rice for £105 million, Havertz for £65 million, White for £50 million – have all been triumphs.

Of the significant transfers that have gone through under Arteta’s watch, only Fabio Vieira (£30 million from Porto) and Albert Sambi Lokonga (£15 million from Anderlecht) can be considered to have not worked out. Both of those players are currently on loan elsewhere.

But will Arteta want to rebuild again?

Some fans might question why Arteta has only signed a two-year extension, rather than a longer deal, but this is generally how he and the club have operated. In May 2022, for example, he signed a deal to 2025.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have taken a similar approach. Guardiola signed two-year extensions in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

It will be curious in the long term, though, to see whether Arteta will want to start a new squad cycle with Arsenal. He has almost entirely rebuilt the team in recent years and to do so again would require another significant emotional and mental investment on his part.

The greatest managers, such as Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jürgen Klopp and now Guardiola, went through numerous cycles at their clubs – but such figures are increasingly rare in the modern game.