Arteta agrees new Arsenal deal with sharp pay rise

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Mikel Arteta has agreed an improved new contract at Arsenal, tying the Spaniard to the Premier League champions beyond the expiry of his current deal at the end of this season.

According to BBC Sport's Sami Mokbel, a final agreement has been reached between Arteta and the club after talks that had been ongoing for a number of months. BBC Sport had reported earlier this month that all parties were closing in on an agreement.

The length of the new deal has not been confirmed, but it is set to take Arteta into at least his 10th year in charge at Arsenal following his appointment in December 2019.

A significant pay increase

The new terms also come with a sharp rise in salary. Arteta's current package is worth £10m per year plus a further £5m in bonuses, per BBC Sport, with the fresh agreement pushing that figure up considerably.

That reflects the trajectory of the club under his stewardship. Arsenal ended a 20-year wait for a Premier League title last season, and also came within a penalty kick of lifting the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

Arteta had already made his intentions clear in public. Speaking about the contract situation last week, he told reporters that supporters did not need to "worry" because he wanted to stay.

"I'm extremely happy and I feel very grateful to work with the people I work with," he said.

Dynasty the driving force

BBC Sport report that dynasty building is what has driven Arteta's decision, with last season's title viewed internally as a starting point rather than an end point. The Champions League final defeat is understood to have served as further motivation rather than a reason to step away.

The timing carried more urgency than a typical renewal. With his existing deal due to run out in the summer, an unresolved situation would have left uncertainty hanging over a squad that has been rebuilt almost entirely in Arteta's image since 2019.

That question is now settled. The manager who oversaw Arsenal's return to the summit of English football will remain in place, with the structure around him unchanged heading into the rest of the campaign.

It has not been a flawless start to the season — Arteta described a recent defeat at Brighton as "a big lesson" for his side — but the club's long-term direction has never been in genuine doubt.

An official announcement from Arsenal is expected to follow, with the finer details of the deal's length to be confirmed at that point.