Mikel Arteta reveals why he signed a new 3-years contract at Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed why he decided to extend his contract with the North London club, stressing the importance of his relationships with key figures at the club.

Arteta who was in the final year of his previous deal put pen to a new three years deal which ties him to Arsenal until 2027 on Thursday.

Reacting after the deal had been announced, Arteta paid tribute to those who work with him at the club before lauding the ‘transformative’ fanbase in a statement.

Arteta told Arsenal.com: “I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next. I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club.

“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.

“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”

Arteta replace Unai Emery as Arsenal manager in 2019 and has been able to transform the club into one of the best in the world. He has also managed to steer the club back into the Champions League after a seven years absence.

Arsenal are now looking like Man City’s biggest rival – and sporting director Edu believes that the club now have the the stability and direction to “reach new heights” under their manager in the coming years.

He said of Arteta’s new deal: “We are really happy that Mikel has signed a new long-term contract. It’s a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club and an important part of what we’re all working towards.

“Mikel has shown his qualities since the very first day he joined us, not only as a football manager, but as a person with wonderful values. We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.”