Mikel Arteta has assured Arsenal supporters that they have no reason to worry about his future, as the Gunners boss enters the final year of his contract. The Spaniard, who ended Arsenal's 22-year wait for the Premier League title in May, was widely expected to sign a new deal as a reward for that historic achievement.

With Arsenal set to begin their 2026-27 campaign against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, there have been few signs of Arteta nearing a contract extension. However, the 44-year-old, who last agreed a new contract in 2024, insists another deal will eventually be signed.

"They don't have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here," Arteta said. "I am extremely happy. I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with, and when we have the possibility, we will resolve that."

Hinting that Arsenal's busy transfer activity has taken priority, Arteta reassured fans: "There is always another priority, I think! That's the way we have been treating it, because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue. My will, certainly, is to be here and I am very happy here."

Arsenal have strengthened their title-winning squad with the additions of Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Club Brugge forward Christos Tzolis. They also made Piero Hincapie's loan move from Bayer Leverkusen permanent and signed Illan Meslier on a free transfer.

Arteta's pursuit of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was unsuccessful, while rivals Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea have each spent £100 million on a single player. Despite this, Arteta remains confident Arsenal can defend their title.

"I am really happy with the squad and the ambition of the club," he said. "We need to do it our own way. We have super strengths, but we don't have the elements or structure that other clubs have. We will do what we believe is the right thing to compete in every competition."

Source: www.aljazeera.com