Arteta targets more Arsenal glory after signing new deal until 2030

LONDON — Mikel Arteta vowed "this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together" after signing a new contract with Premier League champion Arsenal until 2030.

The Spaniard's deal had been due to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, but, if he sees out his new contract, he will have been at the Emirates for more than a decade.

The club said in a statement on Wednesday that the new agreement, which was widely expected, "reflects our shared belief that the progress we've made, and last season's success, is the beginning of a special period in our history".

Arteta has reportedly been given a substantial pay rise after leading Arsenal to its first Premier League title for 22 years following three successive runner-up finishes.

"It's a privilege to commit my future to the club and to continue to work with exceptional people who want the best for Arsenal," said the 44-year-old.

"This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue.

"We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together."

Arteta, who replaced Unai Emery in December 2019, is now the longest-serving manager in the Premier League following Pep Guardiola's departure from Manchester City.

The former Arsenal captain came under significant pressure early in his managerial reign at the Emirates, but has overseen the club's return to the top of English football.

Arteta also led the Gunners to their first Champions League final in two decades last season, which they eventually lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.

He has been in charge for 361 matches across all competitions, with his win percentage of just over 62 percent the best of any full-time manager in the club's history.

Arsenal is currently second in the Premier League, three points behind leader City after a surprise 3-0 defeat to Brighton before the international break.

Club co-chairs Stan and Josh Kroenke said: "It has been an incredible journey so far and we are excited for what lies ahead in this special relationship.

"Last season was an incredible moment in Arsenal's history, a moment in which we created memories that will last a lifetime.

"We're determined to create many more in the years ahead.

"We share a special bond with Mikel. We are so proud of everything we have achieved since he returned to the club in 2019."

Arsenal returns to Premier League action with a home match against Leeds on Saturday.

Future domination

Arsenal is in a strong position to dominate men's football for years to come, the north London club's CEO Richard Garlick said on Wednesday, minutes after the club announced the new long-term deal with Arteta.

Garlick said the Gunners were not resting on their laurels as they seek to build on a stellar campaign on and off the pitch.

"We can't stand still. We can't sit there, pat ourselves on the back, and say job done," Garlick said.

"This is the beginning, not the end of our journey. This is where we want to go on and show the confidence that (winning the title) is going to bring to us.

"We want to dominate football for the next number of years.

"We're in a really strong position to do that, but we need to keep finding that edge that gives us that advantage.

"And we have to be brave, because it would be very easy just to simply say 'we'll just roll over what we did last year, and that'll be enough', because everybody's out to get you.

"When you're champions, everybody wants to beat you, and we need to find a way of taking those opportunities and taking those advantages and pushing forward all the time."

Arsenal was ranked seventh in the 2026 Deloitte money league for the world's top revenue-generating clubs, behind Manchester City.

However, with City being found guilty of more than a hundred charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules from 2009-10 to 2017-18, there may be a gap to exploit in English football.

City has appealed the league's decision and continues to deny wrongdoing.

Build and develop

Arsenal, owned by American company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, will be helped by a clubrecord revenue of 822 million euros ($918.91 million) in 2025, a 15 percent increase from the previous year and more expected this year.

Garlick sees the faith in Arteta, who struggled early on in his tenure, as key to Arsenal's growing success.

"I think it gives us a competitive advantage over the other teams because Mikel is the only manager that's won the Premier League that's currently managing," Garlick said.

"You look at all the other teams in the sort of traditional top six, and they've all gone through managerial changes, whereas we've now got a manager who's been with us for a significant period of time and has been allowed to build and develop a team over a period of time.

"And the excitement, now, is that we see (the) platform that we've got and we build from there."

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