Mikel may not have signed a new deal yet, but Arsenal are not being subtle about their position. Josh Kroenke has described keeping Mikel Arteta as an "utmost priority" after the title win, while the club negotiates a new two-year extension. All of that is happening with Saturday's Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain still to come.
What Kroenke's message really tells us
The strongest line from Kroenke was not about the final. It was about the manager.
Speaking to express.co.uk, he 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 is not a formal announcement, and it should not be treated as one. No source in the brief says a new agreement has been signed. But as a piece of public backing, it is about as clear as it gets.
The detail matters here. Arteta is on a current £5million-a-year deal that runs until 2027, and Arsenal and the manager are negotiating a new two-year extension. So this is not a club scrambling to stop a contract from expiring. It is a club trying to secure the manager it sees as the central figure in the project.
Kroenke also removed any doubt about where he places the credit. He told express.co.uk: "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. Those are the ones."
That sounds like more than routine praise after a title. It sounds like ownership making sure everyone knows who they want leading the next phase.
Why Arsenal want this sorted now
The timing is straightforward enough. Arsenal are preparing to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday, so this is not the moment for uncertainty around the manager.
There is also a strong football case for moving now. The brief's numbers back up Kroenke's confidence: Arsenal finished top of the Premier League with 82 points and won 25 of their 37 league matches. In Europe, they took 24 points from 8 Champions League games and won all 8.
Those figures do not prove what happens next, and they should not be stretched that far. They do show why Kroenke is pushing the Arteta message so hard. A club coming off that level of performance is not looking to keep its options open at manager. It is trying to lock in continuity.
Kroenke's comments elsewhere in the brief also hint at why the relationship matters. He said he and Arteta message regularly and that he tends to reach out after poor results. In one quote to the Standard, he described those moments as: "That's when just a one sentence text - 'hang in there, we got this, you aren't alone'. Or a couple sentences, a couple thoughts - 'stay the ground, stay focused, tune out the noise.'"
That does not win matches by itself, but it does show an owner-manager relationship that looks aligned rather than strained. For a club that has come through rebuilding years to win the league, that matters.
Strong backing, but not a signed deal yet
This is where the distinction matters. Kroenke's language is strong enough to read as intent, not completion.
It is fair to say Arsenal are moving to protect Arteta with a new contract. It is not accurate to say the whole thing is done. The brief is clear on that: negotiations are ongoing, and the current deal still runs until 2027.
That said, the club's public stance leaves very little room for mixed signals. When the co-chair calls the manager the "utmost priority" and gives him "100 per cent credit", the direction of travel is obvious.
There are transfer debates swirling around Arsenal, including talk around Viktor Gyökeres and Julián Alvarez, but Kroenke's comments place the manager above all of that. Before any squad upgrade comes the bigger piece: keeping Arteta in place.
If Arsenal do finish these talks, it will formalise what Kroenke has already made public. Right now, the message is clear even before the paperwork is: Arteta is the priority, and Saturday's final against Paris Saint-Germain arrives with the club still building around him.
FAQ
Will Mikel Arteta sign a new Arsenal contract soon?
Arsenal want it done quickly, but no signed agreement has been confirmed. Josh Kroenke called keeping Arteta an "utmost priority", while reports in the brief say Arsenal and Arteta are negotiating a new two-year extension. His current £5million-a-year deal still runs until 2027.
What did Josh Kroenke say about Mikel Arteta's future at Arsenal?
Kroenke gave very strong public backing. Speaking to express.co.uk, he said: "Keeping Mikel around is an utmost priority" and added that Arteta is enjoying the project and is "an Arsenal man through and through." He also gave "100 per cent credit" to Arteta, his staff and the players.
Are Arsenal sorting Arteta's contract before the Champions League final?
The brief does not say a deal will be completed before the final. What it does show is that Arsenal are pushing the contract issue to the front of the agenda while they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.
Why are Arsenal so keen to extend Arteta now?
The timing makes sense because Arsenal have just won the Premier League and still have the Champions League final ahead. Kroenke's comments frame Arteta as central to the project, and the numbers in the brief support that confidence: 82 league points, 25 wins and a perfect eight wins from eight in Europe.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →
