Mikel Arteta, now in the final year of his contract that runs through the end of the 2026-27 season, reassured Arsenal supporters he is happy at the club and wants to stay. "They don't have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here. I am extremely happy," Arteta said on August 14, adding contract talks will be resolved in due course and handled organically [1, 2].
Arteta’s three-year contract extension was signed in September 2024. While renewal discussions have not yet concluded, the club is prioritizing strengthening the squad during the summer transfer window instead, as Arteta explained, "There is always another priority . . . because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue" [3, 2].
Arsenal have been active in the 2026 summer transfer window, signing midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, winger Christos Tzolis, defender Piero Hincapie on a permanent deal, and goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Their combined fee for the first three surpassed £143 million [1, 4]. However, the club failed in attempts to sign Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid and Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa [1, 3].
The club is still seeking defensive reinforcements, pursuing Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa. This pursuit comes partly due to injuries to key defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber [1, 2, 5]. Arteta said, "I am really happy with the squad, the players that I have and I am really happy with the ambition of the club. There is zero question about that" [3].
Arteta first took charge of Arsenal in December 2019. Under his management, Arsenal secured their first Premier League title in 22 years in May 2026, ending a drought since 2004 [1, 4].
Arsenal will begin their 2026-27 campaign with a Community Shield match against Manchester City on August 16 in London [1, 5].
