Arsenal announced a few days ago that they agreed to a contract extension with manager Mikel Arteta. Committing long-term to the Gunners means that any future move to FC Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain is off the table.
Since joining us in December 2019, Mikel has been a key figure in re-establishing the North London club as a Premier League contender and back in the UEFA Champions League.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Arsenal expert Charlie Watts explained that Arteta is well aware that he has unfinished business at the Emirates Stadium. He has yet to win a major trophy with the Gunners since that FA Cup final in his first few months in charge.
As a result, there was no desire to leave for another gig even for clubs that he played during his playing career.
“[Arteta] is all about winning,” Watts wrote. “That is what drives him on and he believes he can lead Arsenal to the biggest trophies. That’s why he signed this new contract. He was never going to go anywhere else, despite links to clubs like Barcelona and PSG, because he knows his job in north London is far from finished.”
Barcelona and PSG weren’t going to come looking for Arteta, at least not now since the Parisians are happy with manager Luis Enrique, and the Catalan side have begun a new project with former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick.
