Arsenal have barely finished celebrating a first Premier League title in 22 years, but the club's next move is already obvious. Josh Kroenke has made clear that tying Mikel Arteta down beyond next summer is now the priority, not a background issue left for later. For a club that has just won the league and wants to keep building, that feels like the correct call.
What Kroenke said about Arteta's future
The strongest line from Kroenke was also the simplest. Speaking to standard.co.uk, the Arsenal co-chair said: “Keeping Mikel around is [an] utmost priority and I think the good news for Arsenal fans worldwide is he’s enjoying the project, he’s enjoying being here and from his time as a player all the way up until now, he’s an Arsenal man through and through.”
That matters because Arteta's current contract expires next summer. Once that becomes the timeline, delay makes little sense. Clubs in Arsenal's position do not usually wait for uncertainty to grow around their manager when the season has just delivered proof that the project is working.
Kroenke also went even bigger on Arteta's importance. “If there is a singular person you can trace this all back to, I’m going to give 100 per cent credit to Mikel, his staff and the players," Kroenke said.
The wording is revealing. This was not a cautious boardroom answer about reviewing things in due course. It was a public statement of ownership backing, and it came straight after Arsenal finished first in the league.
Why continuity makes sense now
There is a straightforward football case for moving quickly. Arsenal are Premier League champions, with 25 league wins and 82 points. That is not the profile of a side needing a reset. It is the profile of a club that should protect the structure that got it here.
The wider season backs that up too. In Europe, Arsenal took 24 points from 8 Champions League league-phase games. The title is the headline, but that level of consistency across competitions is why Kroenke's emphasis on continuity feels more than ceremonial.
This is where the club's position looks stronger than it did in previous years. Arteta is not being asked to convince people the project has direction. He has already delivered the biggest domestic prize. Once a manager gets a club over that line after a 22-year wait, contract talks stop being about reward and start being about protecting momentum.
Andrea Sartori's broader point to football.london also fits the picture around elite clubs. “The leading clubs in European football are increasingly operating on a different economic scale to the wider market.” Arsenal's football progress and their long-term planning now look much more aligned than they did when this was still a rebuild.
The stadium plans matter as well
Kroenke's message was not only about the manager. He also confirmed Arsenal are exploring what comes next for the Emirates, although the brief is clear that this remains a discussion rather than an approved project.
Rich Garlick is leading conversations over a possible Emirates Stadium renovation. That detail matters because it shows this is not just vague owner talk after a trophy win. There is internal planning around infrastructure as well as the first team.
Kroenke told standard.co.uk: “But there’s some character that I want to make sure we’re preserving and bringing back to the ground as well. I think we can do that in a very elegant manner that’s really to the benefit of Arsenal.”
That is a sensible note to strike. Stadium modernisation can easily drift into generic language about upgrades and revenue, but supporters usually care just as much about whether a ground still feels like home. Kroenke's phrasing suggests Arsenal want improvement without flattening the place into something anonymous.
Put together, the message from the club is fairly clear. The title win has not pushed Arsenal into a victory lap. It has pushed them toward the next set of decisions, with Arteta's contract at the top of the list and longer-term stadium planning moving alongside it.
That is where this gets interesting. Arsenal have ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, Arteta's deal runs until next summer, and Kroenke has already said keeping him is an utmost priority. The celebrations can carry on, but the club's next piece of serious business has already started.
FAQ
Will Arsenal give Mikel Arteta a new contract after winning the Premier League?
Josh Kroenke has made that the club's clearest immediate priority. He said keeping Mikel Arteta around is an utmost priority after Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title. Arteta's current deal expires next summer, so the club now has a clear reason to move quickly on continuity.
What did Josh Kroenke say about Mikel Arteta's future at Arsenal?
Kroenke said Arteta is central to what Arsenal have built. Speaking to standard.co.uk, he said: “Keeping Mikel around is [an] utmost priority” and described him as “an Arsenal man through and through.” He also gave “100 per cent credit” to Arteta, his staff and the players for the title run.
Are Arsenal planning to renovate the Emirates Stadium?
Arsenal are exploring it, but the project has not been approved or funded in the brief. Josh Kroenke said the club wants to preserve the stadium's character while improving it, and Rich Garlick is leading conversations over a possible Emirates Stadium renovation.
Why are Arsenal in a strong position to back Arteta now?
The title win is the obvious reason, but the wider numbers support it too. Arsenal finished first in the Premier League, won 25 league matches and ended the season on 82 points. They also topped their Champions League league phase with 24 points from 8 games, which strengthens the case for continuity rather than change.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 6 outlets. How we work →
