Should Arsenal’s next big priority be a new contract for Arteta?

Following a poor start to the 2019–20 season, Arsenal fired Unai Emery and hired a green Arteta as their head coach after convincing him to leave his position as Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City.

Arteta’s time at the Emirates has been filled with ups and downs. One major low was their narrow failure to qualify for the Champions League last season. The major high, on the other hand, should be where they are now: at the top of the Premier League with 69 points, 8 points clear of second-placed Manchester City. Much has been said about Arteta’s Arsenal project, but what all Gunners will appreciate is that they have already started reaping the rewards of their bold decision to trust Arteta even when things at times seemed to go wrong.

Arsenal’s current success is all Mikel Arteta’s, and as Simon Jordan notes, the Arsenal decision-makers need to be wise not to let the Spaniard leave them, as clubs like Manchester City will for sure dream of him managing them in the near future.

“[Arsenal] are here to stay, and they must make sure Arteta is too. He is a force to be reckoned with. Tie him down, secure his future, let him complete the rebuilding job—and whatever you do, don’t return the favour to City and gift them Arteta when Pep Guardiola leaves,” said Simon Jordan.

Looking at Arsenal this season, they have a good chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in nearly 19 years. They just have to match or produce better results than Manchester City for the remaining 10 league games of the season. If you’re a Gooner and you still don’t trust the process, Arteta might not be the issue; perhaps you are: But is there really any Gooner who doesn’t trust the process?

Anyway, as Jordan suggests, after tying down Bukayo Saka and then William Saliba to new deals, securing Mikel Arteta’s long-term future should be the next priority.

Darren N