Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have agreed to hold off on new contract talks until the end of the season to fully focus on winning the Premier League and going deep into the Champions League.
The two parties have been in talks since January over a new deal, with the North London club still having total trust in their manager despite recent results.
Discuss Mikel Arteta’s future if Arsenal do NOT win the Premier League
Arsenal’s recent run of three defeats in four is tough, but has not changed the Kroenke’s minds over the future of their manager, despite links to Cesc Fabregas.
However, talks are now planned to restart at the end of the season over offering the Spaniard a new deal, with six weeks still remaining.
Arsenal to reopen Mikel Arteta contract talks at the end of the season
Arsenal have agreed with Mikel Arteta to reopen contract talks at the end of the season, according to Fabrizio Romano.
But one thing the Gunners are making clear is that they remain fully behind the 44-year-old and have no plans to get rid of him anytime soon.
The North London club want to go into the final few months of the season with total focus on what is happening on the pitch.
Speaking about the situation, Romano told his YouTube channel: “Arsenal have been in active conversation with Arteta’s lawyers since January and February to discuss a new contract with Arteta.
“So there are contract talks ongoing between Arsenal and Arteta. Then the manager and the club together understand the moment they want to focus on the pitch.
“There is a Champions League, a quarter-final return leg. There is obviously the Premier League title race.
“They decided all together Arteta, Arsenal, management all together, to focus on the pitch and then at the end of the season, in the summer, to restart the conversation.
“Length of the contract, salary, all the topics that they usually discuss when it’s about uh to extend the contract or negotiate a new deal. That’s absolutely typical.
“So they are discussing, they are talking. We have to wait and see how this conversation will go. But the talks have already started around January, February.
“So the level of trust between Arsenal and Arteta remains total. Then obviously they want to discuss at the end of the season to understand how to advance on this contract topic.”
Were the Gunners to fail to win either the Premier League or Champions League, then it would be interesting to see how talks progress.
But with everything still to play for and a massive week ahead, full focus remains on getting at least one of the two major trophies over the line.
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